Love Goes Boom
by MyDearWatson
Summary: Margo Lennox, a blind Sound Dragon Slayer, has joined Fairy Tail. She's a bit odd and a bit blunt, but has a heavy punch and an even heavier 'Sonic Boom'. She has a rough start at the guild, but as she fights along side the members of Fairy Tail and they fight for her, Margo realizes it takes more than power and a well aimed fist to overcome the things that stand in her way.
1. The Blind Dragon Slayer

**A/N: **So I finally decided to start uploading this story!

So, as I've stated in my profile, I've been with this site for a while, but I have recently updated my whole profile - name, pic, stories, everything! It was time. As a result, this little baby is now making it's debut.

I'm really having fun with this story and this fandom! This is my first time writing in the Fairy Tail Fandom, so I hope you all enjoy it. I'm completely up to date on it too, well the manga universe anyways. It's my favorite manga right now, I just can't get enough of it!

Anyways, this story will include OC's, so I'm sorry if you don't like that. I just couldn't help myself with creating a Dragon Slayer. They're just so awesome! So I hope you enjoy the one I created. So due to having OC's it may change the story up a bit, so please don't tell me that I've gotten the time line wrong or something like that. Adding characters are bound to change what's happening in the original story, but I'll try to refrain from doing that too much.

I don't own Fairy Tail. If I did, some characters would be together already! Dang it! Also, there may be spoilers as this story moves along, so if you haven't read/watched the series I would do so (plus it's worth it any way to read/watch it!).

This story starts during the 'Tower of Heaven' arc, but does not actually include that arc. There was too much going on in it to try and put it in the story.

I do, however, own Margo Lennox and any other OC that may show up and whatever I do with them!

Also, the title is based off Bowling For Soup's 'Love Goes Boom'. Awesome song and band, but neither of which I own. All the titles of the chapters should be created by me, but that song just fit so darn well that I had to use it!

Just like all writers on this site, I do enjoy reviews. So please don't forget to do that after you finish reading! It helps me with my writing to know if you guys like it or not. Plus, it's always helpful to hear your ideas as well.

Well, I suppose that's enough from me for now. Please enjoy the story and remember to review! ^.^

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**Chapter 1: The Blind Dragonslayer**

The sun shinned brightly in the land of Fiore. The rays trickling through the tree branches and green leaves, creating light designs on the stone road. Birds chirped either from trees or flying in the sky. Townspeople were constantly moving around from stand to stand, buying things they needed. Laughter from children filled the air, creating a happy atmosphere.

"I like this place, Zepplin," a young woman's voice announced before taking a bite out of the rock candy she had just bought, "It has so much music in just the town. I wonder what the guild will be like. What do you think?" she asked, looking down at a jet black, medium sized dog.

Zepplin looked up at her and gave her a short bark. She smiled at him and gave him a piece of the blue candy. A pink tongue happily licked it out of her hand. She smiled at him before looking up again.

She pushed her messy bangs out of her face for the hundredth time. She then tightened the tie around her navy blue pony tail, knowing that it was a bit messy too. She fixed her aviator sunglasses into a more comfortable position before popping another piece of the candy into her mouth. She then began making her way down the stone road again, listening to her black combat boots stomp down and Zepplin's claws click. She was happy she had decided to wear her tight jean shorts, which ended above the knee, and her tight, camouflage tank top since it was so hot out. Though, she wouldn't complain about it. She loved the summer time, and it seemed the people of Magnolia Town loved it too.

She leisurely made her way down the road, crossing a large bridge in the process. This made her feel a little uneasy until she made it to the other side. She had never liked water. She continued at her slow pace, considering this would be the last guild she would be visiting.

"I've heard good and bad things about this guild, Zepplin," she began, the dog huffing to let her know he was listening, "I hope the good outweighs the bad though. I don't want to be turned away again. I don't even know how many guilds we've been to, but it's always the same. I always get turned away," she sighed, "So this will be the last guild we will try to join. If we get denied, I don't know what we'll do," she frowned, Zepplin nuzzling his nose into her hand, "Thanks Zepplin. You're such a good dog."

The two continued their walk in silence. Soon enough, they stood outside of the Fairy Tail guild. Inside, she could hear loud voices yelling and laughing, causing a smile to spread across her face.

"It sounds just as music filled as the town. Let's go in Zepplin!" she grinned, her steps becoming quicker.

The two crossed under the large Fairy Tail sign and into the large stone courtyard where stands selling Fairy Tail memorabilia stood. She felt people around her and she was sure they were staring at her, but she continued her determined walk towards the main part of the guild. She found herself stopping in front of the door, taking in a deep breath.

"Well it's now or never, right Zepplin?" she asked, earning a loud bark, "All right, here we go."

She pushed open the large door to the guild, a rush of sounds attacking her. People were wrestling in the middle of the room while other people were shouting and betting on who would win. Drinks were constantly being served and drank in large gulps. Laughter came from several women and men in the room and she was sure she heard a young woman's voice yelling at them to not drag her into it.

She stepped a little further into the room, Zepplin right next to her. This caused the door to fall closed with a loud 'thunk'. Everyone instantly stopped what they were doing, looking up to see who had interrupted them. She jumped in surprise to have all the attention suddenly on her. The stare down continued for a few more moments until a woman decided to approach the stranger.

"Hello," she smiled widely, appearing right in front of the girl, "My name is Mirajane Strauss. Welcome to Fairy Tail."

"Uh, hi," she said, taken aback slightly from the woman appearing right in front of her.

"May I ask your name and why you came to our guild?" Mirajane continued.

"My name's Margo," she answered, feeling a little calmer, "And I came to join your guild."

"And what kind of magic do you use?" Mirajane asked with a smile.

"I…" Margo stopped for a moment, not sure if she should say what she really was. None of the other guilds had believed her. Though, she figured if this was her last guild, she might as well go big or go home, "I'm a Dragon Slayer."

The entire guild went silent at her statement. All of them stared at her in disbelief, considering she didn't look at all like Natsu or Gajeel, who both looked and acted like Dragon Slayers.

"Is it true?" a girl's voice finally interrupted the silence. A mop of blue hair made its way to the front of the group to stand in front of Margo. She wore a curious look instead of the disbelieving one that everyone else had, "Are you really a Dragonslayer?"

"Psh, yeah right," a deep voice said before Margo could get a word out. A tall and muscular man walked up to the group, making himself as intimidating as he could. Though, it didn't seem to faze Margo one way or another. She simply stood there with a flat look on her face, annoyed that the man had interrupted her, "I know a Dragon Slayer when I see one and there's no way she's one. She's too short for one."

"I'm 5'7", thank you," she snapped at him, "I'm not short! And I am a Dragon Slayer, you moronic punk!" she continued, her voice raising slightly. Zepplin began to growl at the man when he felt Margo's anger rise.

"Sounds like you have a short temper too," he huffed, "You probably don't even know how to control yourself in battle."

"You're one to talk, Gajeel," someone mumbled from the crowd, earning a glare from said man.

"Gajeel-kun, stop this," a woman with darker blue hair said, trying to stop the battle that would soon ensue, "You're supposed to be trying to get along with people."

Gajeel stared at her for a moment, contemplating her plea. Though, when he looked back at Margo, he just couldn't help himself. It had been a while since he had a good fight and Natsu currently wasn't at the guild to instigate one, so unfortunately for the girl, his pent up energy would be taken out on her.

"And you probably have your mutt fight your battles."

"Don't insult my dog!" she shouted, poking him hard in the chest.

"Why? He's just an overgrown rat," he growled as he gave her shoulder a rough push.

Margo completely lost her control when he pushed her. She quickly dropped her backpack to the floor and took an offensive stance. She pulled her right arm back, closing her hand into a fist. She then screamed out, "Sound Dragon's Punch," and aimed it right at the smirking face of Gajeel. The attack hit its target perfectly since Gajeel hadn't readied himself for battle. The force of the sound being thrown at him sent him flying outside through one of the guild's walls. Gajeel's heavy body skidded across the ground, causing dust to billow after him. Margo quickly followed him out the large hole, Zepplin close behind her. The rest of Fairy Tail made their way outside, keeping a safe distance from the two.

Margo kept her distance from where she could feel a large cloud of dust rising. Suddenly, from out of the cloud, a large iron club appeared. It busted out of the cloud, causing the rest of the dust to settle to reveal a scowling Gajeel. The club stretched fast towards Margo. She waited for the last possible moment and moved to the left of the large piece of iron. Margo then jumped on top of the club and started to run towards Gajeel. In response, Gajeel created another iron club with his other hand and quickly swung it at her legs. She launched herself from the club, flipping backwards over the other club and landing solidly on the ground.

Before she could fix her attention back on Gajeel, one of his iron clubs punched her in the face. This caused her head to go reeling backwards and her sunglasses to go flying off her face. Zepplin quickly jumped into the fighting area, picked up the sunglasses with his mouth and made it back to the sidelines. Margo shook off the hit, wiping away the trickle of blood from her mouth with the back of her hand. She then looked up at Gajeel to reveal dull gold eyes. Everyone, including Gajeel, stared in shock as they registered that she was blind.

Gajeel was the first to recover from the shock, throwing his head back to laugh, "You really expect me to fight a blind girl? That's just overkill!" he said before he continued to laugh.

"You have a weird laugh," Margo said bluntly, giving him another flat stare. She was used to people underestimating her or mocking her because of her blindness, so his statement didn't seem to faze her, "And weirdoes like you shouldn't underestimate me," she added with a growl, a glimpse of her fangs being shown.

"Weirdo? That's the best you got?" he sneered, "What a poor excuse for a mage and an even worse excuse for a Dragon Slayer. You're a blind nobody and your dog is just –"

He was suddenly cut off as Margo yelled and sent another attack at him.

"Sound Dragon's Sonic Boom!" she shouted before sending out a huge wave of sound, completely knocking him off his feet. She quickly ran towards him while he was down. She stomped her foot down on his chest when she reached him, causing him to lose his breath for a moment, "I told you," she started, her face turned into a snarl, "Don't insult my dog!"

Gajeel scowled up at her while his iron scales started to take over his body. He then grabbed the ankle of the foot that was on his chest, pulling her to the ground with a hard 'smack' while he stood up. When he stood at his full height, he was holding her upside down by the ankle still. Margo began to kick wildly with her free foot in hopes of wriggling herself free. She gritted her teeth when his grasp on her ankle tightened, causing her to swing her free leg inwards and smacking her foot against his cheek before the iron scales could finish covering it.

The force of the kick managed to make Gajeel drop her to the ground and his head spin a little. Both of them quickly righted themselves, Gajeel smiling wildly. He hadn't had this good of a fight since his brawl with Natsu. He then began running at Margo, pulling his right hand back and clenching his hand to form a fist. He brought it forward with all the strength he had, aiming it at her left shoulder. Margo's movements were quick, though, and she dodged to the right. She then brought her left leg up, kicking him in the gut and adding her 'Sonic Boom' to the kick. It was enough force, even with his iron scales, to send him flying backwards and over the cliff that led to the ocean.

Gajeel managed to grab onto the side of the cliff before he went falling into the water, "Fuck!" he cursed as he pulled himself back up onto solid ground, "It shouldn't be this fucking hard to fight you," he growled, glaring at Margo.

"I told you not to underestimate me," she snapped back at him, "Or to insult my dog."

"Whatever," he huffed, "I'm ending this now," he said as he began to breathe in, "Iron Dragon's Roar!"

As soon as Margo heard him breathe in, she followed suit, "Sound Dragon's Roar!"

Gajeel let loose a tornado of force and metal at Margo while she sent out her own tornado of power and sound; the later attack being the loudest roar the guild had ever heard, even louder than Natsu's. The two roars met and battled each other for a few minutes, both Margo and Gajeel planting themselves so hard into the ground that it created craters under their feet. Eventually the two attacks cancelled each other out and for a few minutes there was nothing but dead silence. All the other guild members were too stunned to say or do anything while Gajeel and Margo stared each other down while panting from their fight.

"Well, I've seen all I need to see," a short, old man announced, smiling widely from the front of the crowd. He then made his way over to Margo to stand in front of her.

"Who are you?" Margo asked, irritation from Gajeel still in her voice.

"The name's Makarov. I'm the Master of this guild."

His introduction seemed to bring Margo back to reality. She then realized that because of her short temper, a hole was created in back wall of the guild and she picked a fight with a Fairy Tail member. She sighed, suddenly feeling stupid and ashamed of herself.

"I'm sorry for wrecking your guild and starting a fight," she said, bowing lowly.

"It is quite some hole, isn't it," he stated, looking at his half wrecked guild, "But you weren't the only one to instigate the fight, so I won't put the full blame on you, or make you pay the full amount for the repairs," he snickered, watching as both Margo and Gajeel flinched at his words, "Besides it's nothing compared to what Natsu would have done," he added with a shiver as he pictured what the fire Dragon Slayer would have done to the guild.

"Still, I shouldn't have lost my temper so easily," Margo frowned.

"The temper comes with being a Dragon Slayer. Plus, you were protecting your friend. That's something worth having a temper for," he grinned up at her, "And with that being said, welcome to Fairy Tail."

"What?!" she asked, "You're really going to accept me in your guild? After everything that's already happened?"

"So long as you don't bring down the guild, you're in," he answered, "You'll fit in just fine."

"Thank you!" she smiled, picking Makarov up and hugging him tightly.

The guild simply smiled while they watched the scene unfold. Things just kept getting interesting for their guild. Now they had three Dragon Slayers that belonged to Fairy Tail. No one would be able to take the number one spot from them for the top guild in Fiore.

Margo sat Makarov back on his feet, the old man still grinning as he turned to walk back into the guild through the large hole in the wall. Zepplin then approached her, still carrying her sunglasses in his mouth.

"Good boy," she said, rubbing the top of his head while taking the sunglasses from him. She wiped them off and slid them back on, "Looks like we have a home now, Zepplin," she announced, earning a happy bark from Zepplin.

Margo then looked over to where Gajeel was still standing. She could feel his stare on her and she knew it wasn't a friendly stare. She knew that she had embarrassed him in front of his own guild by being able to take him on, but no one insulted Zepplin and got away with it. In the back of her mind she knew should apologize though. She had let her temper get the better of her and she wasn't thinking when she lashed out at him. Though, she supposed she should let him cool off first before trying to approach him. Plus, she needed to cool down herself. She saw no point in trying to talk when both of them were still miffed.

Gajeel had been the first to look away. He slicked his hair back into place, walking back into the guild without a word. Margo listened to his heavy footsteps until they disappeared far into the guild. Once she was sure he was out of ear shot, she let out a sigh she didn't even know she was holding in.

"I think I messed up already, Zepplin," she frowned.

"Don't let his attitude get to you," Mirajane said, appearing next to Margo, "He's like that with everyone."

"How do you handle it then?" Margo asked, still staring at the spot where Gajeel had disappeared.

"With a grain of salt," she answered, "But he is trying to work on it. Just give him some time."

"Yeah right," a man with black hair huffed as he passed by.

"He's not worth getting to know," an orange haired man added, following the first man.

"Droy! Jet! He is a member of Fairy Tail," the light blue haired girl reprimanded the two men. The two only huffed angrily in response, "Please don't mind them," she said, turning to Margo, "My name's Levy, by the way," she grinned, "And welcome to Fairy Tail."

"Thanks," Margo answered with a small smile. She wanted to know what the animosity was about between Gajeel and the two men. It really was none of her business, but that didn't stop her curiosity from growing. She knew that all guild members may not get along, but they should at least have respect for one another. There seemed to be none between the three men. She locked the information away for a later time.

"Come on inside," Mirajane said, interrupting her thoughts. The white haired mage smiled to herself as she grabbed Margo's hand. She was happy to see that someone had taken an interest in the iron dragon. Most people in the guild were either too afraid to approach him or hated him for what he had done to the guild. Mirajane, though, felt the same way her master did. Gajeel was just lost at the moment and simply needed guidance to the correct path. Margo could be a clean slate for him, if the two could get along that is, "I want to give you the Fairy Tail stamp to show that you are a part of our guild."

"All right," Margo said, following Mirajane inside, "Can Zepplin have one too?"

"Of course. He is your partner, right?"

"He has been for five years now," Margo smiled happily.

Mirajane stared at her for a moment, a familiar feeling washing over her. She could have sworn she'd seen that smile before. It was right on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She just knew that Margo reminded her of someone she knew. Mirajane shook the feeling away, stopping when she came to an area of the bar that wasn't wrecked.

She let go of Margo's hand, telling her to stay there. Levy quickly joined the two women, bringing in Margo's backpack. She took a seat at of the barstools, setting the bag on the countertop. The two watched as Mirajane dug through some supplies underneath the bar until she eventually popped back up with a smile.

"All right," she began, "I have assorted sizes and colors. Is there anything you would like in particular?"

"Do you even know what colors look like?" Levy asked. She then slapped a hand over her mouth when she realized what she asked, "I'm sorry. That was rude of me. I was just curious."

"It's ok, really," Margo laughed, "I vaguely remember colors, but not very well. I could see up until I was four," she explained. She thought for a moment, tapping her index finger against her chin, "Well, people tell me that Zepplin is a black dog, so I think a white marking on the front of his chest would be good. That way he can show it off. What do you think Zepplin?" she asked, looking down at the dog. He barked in agreement.

"A white mark on the chest it is then," Mirajane smiled. She grabbed a large sized, white colored stamp and pushed it into Zepplin's short, black fur. Once she was finished, she pulled the stamp away to reveal a clean, white Fairy Tail mark, "Perfect."

"So do you know what you want, Mar-chan?" Levy asked.

Margo was surprised by the nickname, but she didn't argue it. She rather liked having someone around that liked her enough to give her one. It didn't make her feel so lonely, "Well, I remember what blue looks like, I think," she sighed.

"I like blue," Levy smiled, "My hair is blue and I gave you a nickname first, so why don't we make it light blue?"

"I think that's a great idea, Levy," Mirajane smiled.

"If you guys like it, then I'll go with it," Margo agreed, "Could I put it at the corner of my left eye?"

"Yes, I think it's very fitting for you," Mirajane answered while grabbing a smaller sized stamp in a light blue color.

"Glad to hear that I'm not the only one who thinks that too," Margo smirked as she removed her sunglasses.

Mirajane then pressed the stamp against her tan skin at the corner of her left eye, holding it there for a moment. She then pulled away to reveal a perfect, light blue marking, "It looks great!"

"Thanks," Margo replied, placing her sunglasses back on, "So, I know that I wrecked your guild and I don't really have that much money right now, but do you have a place I could possibly stay?"

"You could always stay in the dorms we have here," Levy answered, "It's called Fairy Hills. It's really nice and everyone has their own room decorated however you like it!"

"Though, it does cost 100,000 jewels a month," Mirajane stated, frowning when she saw Margo's face fall. She quickly smiled when an idea came to mind though, "But right now, I am acting matron while Erza is out and I could work out a deal with the owner. I could get you the first month free that way you have enough time to get the money to afford it."

"You could do that?" Margo asked in surprise.

"Of course. Would you take the deal?"

"I can bring Zepplin with me, right?"

"Normally they don't allow animals, but I think we can make an exception for such a good looking dog," Mirajane grinned.

"Then you have yourself a deal," Margo stated, sticking her hand out to Mirajane. The white haired mage grabbed it and the two shook on their deal.

"Now, for paperwork purposes, may I have your full name?" Mirajane asked.

"Margo Lennox," she answered.

Mirajane and Levy instantly went quiet, not expecting that last name to come out of the girl's mouth. It suddenly hit Mirajane hard why Margo looked so familiar. The way she smiled and carried herself was the exact same as two of their current members. She should have known from her appearance alone. The navy blue hair and tan skin showed it so easily. Even the dull gold of her eyes looked the same.

'But there's no way,' Mirajane thought, 'They said she was dead. And if she really is, then does she think they're dead too?'

"Hello?" Margo called out, interrupting Mirajane's thoughts, "Is everything okay?"

"Um…oh yes," Mirajane stuttered, "I just forgot my train of thought for a moment."

Margo stayed quiet, hearing the lie in the woman's voice. She didn't understand why both women suddenly went quite when she gave them her last name. And now Mirajane was lying to her. She kept her suspicions to herself though. She had just joined the guild and she didn't want to ruin the relationship she had going with the two women. They were the first people she could probably consider friends aside from Zepplin. She sighed, finally deciding to respond.

"If you say so," she said, "So can someone show me to the dorms? I want to drop my things off and get a feel for the area."

"Of course," Mirajane replied, "Levy," she said, looking to said mage, "Will you please take Margo to the dorms and show her around?"

"Yes," Levy answered, shaking off the surprise from a moment ago, "Let's go Mar-chan!" she said happily, grabbing onto the other girl's hand. Margo quickly grabbed her backpack from the counter before calling out to Zepplin to follow them.

Mirajane watched as the two walked out the front of the guild, noticing the wary stares that Margo received from several of the other guild members. They didn't seem to trust her yet, which made Mirajane sad. Margo seemed like a generally good person. Though, she understood their wariness. After all, it recently was another Dragon Slayer that had destroyed their guild and hurt members of the guild. Still, it's not like Margo was the same Dragon Slayer as Gajeel. She just hoped that the other members would start to warm up to her, especially if she was related to the people she was thinking of.

"Did I hear right when she said her last name was Lennox?" Makarov asked, sitting on top of the wooden counter next to Mirajane.

"Yes, you did, Master," she answered.

"Interesting," he said, rubbing his mustache, "Do you think she's related to them?"

"I do," she replied, "She looks just like them, especially the older one."

"Well, hopefully they come back from their mission soon," Makarov said.

"I hope so too," Mirajane smiled, "Wouldn't it be wonderful if it was true?"

"For their family, yes it would be," Makarov answered, but then suddenly burst out into tears, "But if she's anything like them, my guild won't last a week!"

**. : + : .**

"I think there's a room across from my own that's free," Levy smiled as the two girls walked to Fairy Hills, "Which will be great! That way we can hang out some time."

Margo barely nodded her head at the shorter girl. She wasn't putting her full attention into the conversation, which was normal for her. Too many sounds and smells and feelings were invading her senses. She could still hear the town from the large hill they were walking up and a summer breeze coming off the ocean washed across her face. She could tell that there weren't very many trees in this area since it didn't feel like anything was blocking the wind. She could smell fresh cut grass mixed in with the dirt that was being kicked up from their feet. She could also smell the ocean off in the distance, the salty wind making her nose cringe slightly. She hoped that her room would face away from the ocean and more towards the forest that surrounded the town. She'd rather smell the mossy husk of the forest than the salty mix of water. She was thankful when a gust of food smells covered the ocean for a moment. All in all, she felt like she could really come to love the town of Magnolia. It seemed peaceful and friendly enough. She hoped that by joining the guild, she would be around long enough to actually make some friends.

"Here we are," Levy announced, bringing Margo out of her thoughts. The two stopped in front of a large, arched sign that read 'Fairy Hills' in big, stretched letters. Margo stopped with a loud stomp, causing Levy to jump in surprise, "Um, if I may ask, why do you stomp like that?"

"It causes vibrations in the ground so I can feel what's around me," Margo answered, looking up at the sign first and then turning her attention to the large building behind it.

"Why don't you just use a walking cane or Zepplin for that?" Levy asked, making sure that her tone didn't sound offending.

"Because I don't like making it seem like I have a disability," she answered, finally turning her sunglasses covered eyes on the blue haired mage, "I don't have Zepplin around as a seeing eye dog. He's my friend, not a tool. And a cane doesn't tell me what something looks like. It can't tell me the size of this building, but the vibrations from my feet can tell me everything. Like this building. It has three floors, an elongated middle section with two wings on the sides of it, the roof tops are pointed into a pyramid shape, the first floor is used as a lobby, large bathroom, a library and a recreation center and the other two floors are used as the actual dorms."

Levy blinked in shock for a moment before smiling widely, "That's amazing!"

"I can see just like the rest of the world, just not in colors," Margo smirked, "Let's go in," she added, beginning to head towards the front door.

The two girls made their way through the lobby area and to a stair case. Levy stopped off on the second floor, heading left down the hallway. Once at the end of the hallway, they made a right and moved down to the end of that hallway.

"All right, this is my room," Levy stated, standing by the door to her right, "You can have the one across from me."

"Great," Margo said, reaching for the doorknob of the empty room. She opened the door to find a fairly empty room. It had a simple bed covered in white sheets and a wooden dresser across from it. A sliding glass door led to a balcony, which had a small, glass table and two wicker chairs. There was another door in the room, which connected to an individual bathroom.

"It's kind of empty right now," Levy stated, stepping into the room, "But I could always help you decorate it."

"I'd like that," Margo smiled down at her, "But it's okay for right now. It doesn't need to be anything fancy."

"We could go once you've taken a couple of missions and earned some money," Levy explained, "That way I can show you around town too."

"Why are you being so helpful?" Margo asked, blurting out what she was thinking. She began walking around the room while waiting for her answer.

"If you're thinking it's because you're blind, then you're wrong," Levy answered, "I just like you is all. I think we could become really good friends, if you want to that is."

Margo could hear the doubt in her voice, causing Margo to curse at herself, "I would like to be friends. I didn't mean anything by the question. I tend to blurt out things without thinking."

Levy giggled, covering her mouth with her hand.

"What?" Margo asked.

"Nothing," Levy answered, "I just think Master was right. You'll fit in just fine."

Margo smiled softly, "Thank you."

"Well, let's get you settled in," Levy smiled back, moving to open the sliding glass door to air the dorm room out.

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**A/N: **Well there's the first chapter! I hope you all liked it! Oh, and I got some inspiration for Margo's 'I can see with vibrations' thing from Toph from Avatar: The Last Airbender, so I hope you liked how I did that too.

Anyways, please remember to review! And I'll have the next chapter up within a week!

Yours truly,

MyDearWatson


	2. Brothers

**A/N: **CHA! Another chapter down!

I'm really enjoying this story right now and I feel like it's turning out well. And I'm absolutely loving my OC (kinda biased to start with on that lol) but I also have found that I love writing Gajeel's character. Can't wait to add a little one shot for him in my other fic series! Reader's should check that one out too!

I would like to thank Link for the review for this story and I hope they like this chapter as much as the last one!

I don't own Fairy Tail!

That's pretty much it for this author's note.

Please enjoy!

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**Chapter 2: Brothers**

The next morning came quick for Margo. She was excited to go exploring the town some before making her way to the guild to check out what kind of jobs they had to offer right now. Even with her excitement though, she had a hard time getting out of bed. She hated waking up, especially when she was so warm and Zepplin was curled up next to her. She groaned as she flipped onto her back, causing Zepplin to wake up. The large dog stood up and stretched, letting out a loud yawn. He then shook himself awake and jumped on top of Margo excitedly.

"Zepplin," Margo huffed out, staring at him with a flat look. He then proceeded to lick her to death until she moved, "All right, all right! I'm up!" she said, pushing the black lump off of her before swinging her feet over the bed, "Let me get a shower first and then we'll go outside," she grinned while rubbing the top of his head.

Margo took a quick shower and dressed for the day. She shoved the little bit of money she had into her jean pocket and then threw her hair up into its usual messy pony tail. She then began lacing her boots up, receiving licks from Zepplin in the process, "You know, this would go a lot quicker if you would stop licking me," she said, moving to the other boot. Zepplin sat down with a huff, "Don't give me attitude," she huffed back, sticking her tongue out at him. She quickly finished with her second boot, grabbing her sunglasses, "All right, let's go," she announced, earning a happy bark from Zepplin.

Margo easily made it outside, taking in a deep breath of the morning air. She could already feel the heat of the day on her skin. She waited for Zepplin to sniff around in the yard for a moment. Once he was finished, the two began following the dirt path to the town.

Margo made note of when the dirt road turned into solid stone. This indicated that she could go one of two ways. Either towards Fairy Tail, which was a short walk off to the left; or she could take a right towards the town. She turned to walk into town, Zepplin prancing happily next to her. Every now and then he would stop to sniff at a flower, almost getting stung by a bee in the process.

"I hope you get stung at least one time," Margo stated, "It would teach you to leave the flowers alone," she said, receiving a huff from Zepplin.

The rest of the walk was quiet, Margo enjoying the calmness of the morning. She also liked the fact that the closer she got to the town, the less she could smell of the ocean. She really did hate the water. She really couldn't help it, considering what happened when she was little. She quickly shook the dark thoughts from her head, not wanting to ruin her first full day in Magnolia.

Soon enough, smells of freshly baked bread and the talk of early risers reached Margo's ears. She grinned, looking down at Zepplin, "Want something to eat? I should have enough for some breakfast," she asked, Zepplin barking in reply, "All right, hopefully the bakery is open."

The two began to pass through the living quarters of the town. It was filled with large apartment complexes, large two story houses and simple ranches. All were in bright colors of white, blue and yellow. Each yard was filled with flowers in pinks, purples and oranges. All the windows were sparkling clean and each yard with grass in it had it cut perfectly. The people that were in this part of town were still half awake, but they seemed friendly enough. Margo could hear a few of the children's voices, indicating that they would be up and playing soon. Margo felt she could really get used to the town. Everyone seemed so happy and content even if they weren't super rich or powerful. She wondered if it was from having such a popular guild in their town.

Margo soon felt people stopping to stare at her. It was mostly due to the lack of movement when she suddenly passed someone that had been walking a moment before. She sighed, having a feeling that her little show at Fairy Tail yesterday didn't go unnoticed. She could hear the voices whispering.

"Is that the girl?" an elderly woman asked another woman as Margo passed them.

"I think so," the other woman answered, "I hear she's a Dragon Slayer too. That makes her the third one at the guild."

"Is it wise to have so many of them all together like that?"

"It's better to have them here to protect our town rather than in some dark guild," the younger woman answered, "Plus, I heard her last name is Lennox."

The elderly woman gasped along with a few other people who began to join their conversation. Margo's interested peaked at the mention of her last name. She didn't understand why everyone was so concerned with the name. It's not like it was tied to noble blood or royal riches. It was just a simple last name. Why should it surprise so many people, especially the ones in the guild?

"Do you think she's just as powerful as them?" a man asked.

"Well being a Dragon Slayer is enough to make her powerful," the woman answered, "Adding in that background will only add to it."

After that, Margo blocked out the rest of the voices. She was thoroughly confused and all she had wanted that morning was a muffin. Now she had all these questions swirling around her head. She suddenly felt something wet pushing into her hand. She pushed her hand down to feel that it was Zepplin pressing his nose into her hand.

"Good boy," Margo smiled, "You always know when to make me feel better."

The two continued walking, the living quarters quickly disappearing behind them. They began passing shops and stands that sold jewelry, food and clothing. Instead of hearing the hushed rumors like she had in the living quarters, she heard people trying to haggle with her and sell her their goods. She easily made her way through the streets, being used to the atmosphere from other towns she had been in. She followed her nose in order find the bakery she wanted to go to. Several were in the town, but she was looking for something specific. She headed towards the center of the town, knowing she would be able to take in all the smells better that way.

She made it to a large opening in a circular shape. She knew it had to be the center of town when she heard a large fountain flowing in the direct middle of the circle. She stopped just a few feet from the fountain, breathing in deeply. She didn't really care what she looked like at the moment. All she knew was that she had to find the perfect bakery. It took her a few minutes, but eventually she found a smell that made her mouth water.

"Perfect," she smiled widely, "I found our new morning pit stop, Zepplin."

Margo began following the smell, easily gliding through the growing crowds. She made a few twists and turns, Zepplin having no problem keeping up with her. She finally stopped in front of a small shop that was facing Fairy Tail. She quickly walked in, a little bell tinkling when she opened the door. A wave of smells invaded her nose, all of them mouthwatering. She literally plastered herself against the first glass case she came to. She could smell all sorts of sweet cakes, breads and muffins. She could also smell fresh cherry tarts and cheese danishes.

"It's like being in Heaven," she sighed happily. Zepplin was pushed up against the glass next to her, letting out his own happy sigh.

"May I help you?" a young man's voice asked with annoyance.

Margo looked up, suddenly realizing what she must have looked like. She peeled herself off the glass, pulling Zepplin back with her. She laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her head, "I'm sorry, but everything smells so good."

The young man, around twenty, eyed her for a moment. He couldn't tell if she was an idiot or not. He had never seen someone press themselves up against a glass case like that, especially over his baking.

"Only because you complimented my baking, I'll let it go for now. But no more pressing your face on my glass cases! I have to clean your face prints off of them now," he explained.

"I promise! And Zepplin promises too!" she smiled, motioning down to the black dog.

The man saw the white marking on the dog and then part of the light blue one at the corner of her eye, "You're Fairy Tail mages?"

"Yes, I just joined yesterday actually," she answered, stretching her hand out to him, "The name's Margo Lennox."

"Nicholas Maxwell," he greeted, shaking her hand, "But you can just call me Nick. Welcome to my bakery."

"So you do all the cooking on your own?" Margo asked.

"For now, yes," he answered, "I just opened recently, so I don't have as much business or help as some of the other bakeries in town," he sighed, pushing a hand through his short brown hair.

"Well yours is the best," Margo grinned.

Nick's green eyes widened, looking right at Margo, "How do you even know? You haven't even eaten anything."

"I know because I can smell it," Margo answered, tapping her nose, "So can Zepplin," she said, tapping the dog's nose as well, "Or else he would have left the store by now."

"You're weird," Nick said before chuckling.

"And you're straightforward," she replied, "I like that."

"Well, is there anything that you would like?"

"Yes, I want what led me here," she answered, "One of those peach muffins that you just finished baking. I was beginning to worry that none of the bakeries around here made them. They're my favorite."

"Well you're in luck. They're my specialty."

"Great! And I'll also take two cherry tarts for Zepplin."

"Let me guess," Nick said as he moved to grab her order, "Those are his favorites."

"Yep."

"Well here you go," he said handing them the baked goods, "And first order is on the house."

"Really?"

"Yes, just make sure to come back."

"I will. Thanks Nick."

"Yeah, yeah. Just don't tell anyone about the free food," he huffed.

"Have a good day," she called out before walking out the door.

Once outside, she tossed one of the cherry tarts to Zepplin. He easily caught it and began chomping down happily. Once he barked at her, Margo threw him the second tart. She then turned her attention to the muffin in her hand. She inhaled deeply, taking in the just baked scent. She could feel that it was a large sized muffin with large pieces of peaches backed into it. She could smell a hint of cinnamon in the bread as well. She finally bit down into the soft bread, groaning out in delight. It was definitely the best muffin she had ever had. She made a mental note right then to come back to Nick's bakery as often as possible to try all his creations.

Margo began walking once she knew Zepplin had finished his second tart. She wasn't really paying attention to where she was going, all her attention focused on the muffin in her hand. As she was about to take another bite of the muffin, her body slammed into something hard. Margo managed to catch herself before she fell, but she lost the grip on her muffin. She felt it slip out of her hand and she was sure that it had fallen on the ground. She pouted slightly, little tears appearing at the corners of her eyes.

"And it was so good too," she sniffed, "And just what hell did I run into?"

"Me," a gruff voice announced, causing Margo to look up.

She knew exactly who it was when she heard the voice, "Gajeel?"

"You better learn to watch where you're walking," he huffed, "Being blind is no excuse."

Margo was about to say something snarky in reply, but remembered that she was supposed to apologize to this man. She puffed her cheeks in irritation before blowing out the air, "I didn't mean to run into you. I was…preoccupied," she said, still saddened by the loss of the muffin.

"Yeah, you were practically making out with this muffin," he retorted, holding up the half eaten bread.

"You caught it!" she shouted happily, yanking the muffin away from him, "And I wasn't making out with it!"

"A simple 'thank you' would have worked too," he mumbled before turning away from her.

"Gajeel, wait!" she called out, stepping in front of him quickly.

"What?"

"I wanted to apologize, for yesterday. I'm sorry if I embarrassed you," she said quietly.

He stared are her silently, trying to figure out if she had really meant it. It wasn't often that someone apologized to him. Actually, this is the first time someone had done it without quivering in fear. It was practically foreign to him. Finally, he decided on an answer, even though he was sure it would piss her off, "Psh, don't apologize. It's not like you did that much damage."

A vein ticked at her forehead while her eye twitched. She was sure this man would be the death of her. Either by battle or by high blood pressure.

"I practically sent you flying off the edge of the cliff," she gritted out, trying to keep calm. She took a deep breath before continuing, "And I'm sorry about that. At least take a peace offering," she said, holding out the half eaten muffin to him.

"I don't want your pity bread," he huffed.

"Just take it," she huffed back.

"No."

"Take it."

"No."

"Take it and eat it!"

"Fuck no!"

"Just eat it!" she shouted.

"I said, FUCK NO!" he shouted back, "Now leave me alone!

"Not until you eat it!" she yelled, jumping on his back.

"Get the hell off!"

"Eat it!" she continued yelling, trying to shove the muffin into his mouth.

"I don't want your stupid muffin!"

"Eat it and choke!"

The two kept on wrestling and yelling, causing the people around them to sweat drop and move far from them. From all the noise that they were making, they failed to notice a rumbling beginning shake the ground. They also failed to hear the other shouts that were heading towards them.

Townspeople quickly pressed themselves against the shop walls as two large figures raced through the streets. They searched every store, throwing doors open and practically breaking windows to look inside. They continued running through the town, obviously frantic to find something. They finally turned down the street where Nick's bakery was, seeing Margo and Gajeel a few yards away from the bakery.

"You'll eat it and you'll like it!" Margo shouted, almost being able to shove the muffin into Gajeel's mouth.

Gajeel was about to retort, but he finally felt the shaking of the ground below his feet. He looked down the street to see two figures running right for them. Margo looked up when she realized that his attention wasn't on her anymore.

The two figures stopped right in front of Gajeel, Margo still on his back. The unknown figures bent so far forward that it caused Gajeel to have to bend backwards to keep from getting hit. He bent so far backwards that Margo almost touched the ground.

All anyone could do was stare. The two figures continued to loom over Gajeel and Margo, seeming to dare either one of them to move. The dust finally began to settle, first revealing two pairs of warm, gold eyes. The gold eyes widened when they saw the girl hanging onto Gajeel's back. Margo knew there were people looking at them. She just didn't know how many or how big they were since she wasn't on the ground to feel the vibrations.

The dust settled completely to reveal two men standing over them. One was a huge man, much like Elfman. He stood at 6'5" with rippling muscles and broad shoulders. He had tan skin and short cropped, aqua blue hair with the bangs styled upwards. His torso was bare aside from a necklace with a round, silver locket on the end of it. Right in the middle of his chest was an aqua blue Fairy Tail stamp. His bottom half was covered with baggy, gray pants that disappeared into knee high, black combat boots.

The other man was slightly shorter, standing at 6'0". He wasn't as muscled or broad shouldered either. He still had muscle to him, but was leaner. His hair was navy blue and messily layered, the ends of it reaching his shoulders and his skin was tan as well. He wore a V-neck, white t-shirt covered with a worn, black leather jacket. He bottom half was covered in dark jeans with rips in them that disappeared into black biker boots.

The two men continued to stare at Gajeel and Margo, mostly watching the girl. Margo gulped loudly, not liking that she didn't know what was going on. She subconsciously shoved the muffin into Gajeel's mouth, Gajeel silently eating the bread. He had no idea what the two mages had planned, so he didn't want to make any sudden movements. Though, he made a mental note to get back at Margo for making him eat the muffin, not matter how good it tasted.

Suddenly the larger man busted out in tears. The salty mixture gushing out of his eyes like geysers. He then proceeded to yank Margo off of Gajeel, causing said man to fall to the ground with a hard 'thunk'. Margo's eyes went wide at then sudden lift from Gajeel's back. She didn't like floating in the air in some random man's hands.

"What the hell are you doing?!" she shouted, "Put me down, you weirdo!"

"It's really you!" the man said in a deep voice, continuing to cry. He pulled her tight against him, practically knocking the breath out of her, "We h-heard the rumors…a-and master said it w-was you. I wouldn't b-believe it though until I s-saw you myself!" he cried, stuttering through his words.

"What the hell is going on?" Margo huffed out, still having problems with trying to breathe.

"Ease up," the other man said, "She can't breathe."

"I-I'm sorry," he sniffed, "I just c-can't believe it's her."

"I know, but you'll crush her to death before we can even talk to her."

The large man loosened his grip and Margo quickly broke free from him and backed away from the two men. She stomped down on the ground in order to feel what the two men looked like. She was surprised by the sheer size of them, realizing why the one man had such a tight grip on her.

"Can someone please tell me what's going on?" she asked, keeping her distance from the two men.

"You don't recognize us?" the second man asked.

"I can't," she answered, taking off her sunglasses to show her dull gold eyes.

The first man began to cry harder when he realized that she was blind and couldn't see them. The second man simply frowned. He had hoped seeing them would be enough for her to recognize them, but now he would have to tell her and hope that she would believe him.

"Margo," the second one began, catching her off guard by using her name, "We're your brothers," he said softly, "I'm Aero."

"And I'm Dante," the other man said with tears still streaming down his face.

Margo instantly froze after their introductions to her. She felt like she couldn't breathe, couldn't think. There was no way that these two men were her brothers. They were supposed to be dead. They died fourteen years ago. It just wasn't possible.

Margo's face suddenly scrunched in anger, "Is this some sort of sick joke?"

"What?" the two men asked.

"My brothers are dead," she growled, "How the hell do you even know about them? Does Fairy Tail hire spies or something to find information on their members?"

"No," Aero answered, "It's really us," he said as he took a step towards her.

Margo felt the movement, taking her own step back, "Stay away!" she shouted, taking another step back. She was too focused on the two men in front of her to pay attention on what was behind her. Her legs bumped into Gajeel's body, who was still on the ground. She fell quickly, her butt landing hard on the other side of Gajeel. Dante moved forward to try to pick her up, reaching out for her arm, "Don't touch me!" she yelled, panic evident in her voice.

Gajeel wasn't sure why he did it, but he suddenly shot his arm out and tightly grabbed onto Dante's wrist. The huge man glared at Gajeel, not happy with being stopped. Gajeel simply glared back, "She said not to touch her."

"What do you know?!" Dante shouted.

"I know she's fucking scared," Gajeel growled lowly, "Approaching her like that isn't gonna help."

Dante could only continue to glare at him in response.

Margo then took that moment to scramble up off the ground. She called out for Zepplin and the two took off running towards the guild. She needed answers and she knew the only place she would get them is at the guild. She ignored the shouting pleas for her to stay, pushing herself faster in order to put distance between them.

She was panting heavily by the time she made it to the guild, slamming the doors open. Everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at her. Even Mirajane seemed taken aback by her sudden appearance in the main room. Margo ran right up the edge of the bar, feeling Makarov sitting on top of it from the vibrations her feet made. She got right into his face, her own face in a deep scowl.

"What kind of game are you playing, old man?" she asked with a snarl.

He stared at her with a stern look before he smiled widely and took a swig of his beer, "I don't know what you mean."

Everyone sweat dropped in response, knowing that had been a bad move to make.

Margo's scowl grew deeper, "Don't act dumb! Who the hell were those men in town?! Why are they calling themselves my brothers?! And how did anyone here even know about them?!"

"That's because they are your brothers," Makarov answered.

"Bull shit!" Margo shouted, "My brothers are dead!"

"Margo," Mirajane called out softly, hoping to calm the girl down, "Those men are telling the truth. Their names are Aero and Dante Lennox. They have been with Fairy Tail for a long time now. They thought you were dead too."

Margo turned to face Mirajane, her scowl letting up and turning into a frown, "But it's not possible. They went over the waterfall. I never saw them after that."

"It's really us, Margo," Aero said, appearing at the front doorway with Dante and Gajeel.

"But I saw you go over the edge," Margo choked out, tears on the verge of falling, "It was the last thing I ever saw."

"Margo, please believe us," Aero pushed, walking up to her. He stopped when he was right in front of her. He frowned when he saw her shaking from him being so close. He then grabbed her hand, holding it tightly so she couldn't jerk it away. He brought her hand to his face, pressing it against his cheek, "I swear that I'm your brother."

Margo was still shaken, but decided to let her hands do the talking for her. She felt his smooth skin beneath her fingers. It was heated still from the sun and from running. She began to move her hand down his jaw line, feeling a familiar dimple in his cheek. His jaw was defined and it moved to form a sharply rounded chin. Margo quickly took off her sunglasses with her other hand, setting them on the bar counter top. She then moved that hand to his other cheek, feeling a matching dimple on it. She then moved her hands up his face, feeling silky wisps of his hair along the way. One hand felt his forehead while the other one moved down his nose. The second hand felt a deep scar run across his nose, a scar that she knew very well.

More tears began to well up in her eyes as her hand continued to run back and forth across the scar, "You got that scar when you snuck up on…"

"When I snuck up on Philomela," Aero continued, "I spooked her a little too well and she accidentally slashed her claw across my nose. She felt so bad that she let me eat all the sweets I wanted for a week and I hated anything sweet after that," he explained with a soft smile.

"Aero," Margo cried out, the tears finally spilling over. She threw her arms around him in a tight hug, hiding her face in the crook of his neck as she cried.

He quickly put his arms around her, pulling her in close, "I'm sorry we couldn't find you," he said, his own tears starting to slide down his face, "I'm sorry we gave up on you," he continued, tightening his grip on her, "But you were always in our thoughts. You were always a part of us. Always."

"I missed you," she managed to choke out.

"We missed you too."

"Margo!" Dante cried loudly, appearing next to her.

Margo pushed herself off of Aero a little, turning herself towards the big man, "Dante," she smiled, tears still streaming down her face. She moved away from Aero and hugged Dante tightly. Dante hugged her back, picking her up off the floor as he did so. He continued to cry loudly, causing Margo to laugh a little, "You're still such a crybaby."

"I know!" he answered, causing the whole room to laugh.

Everyone watched the scene with warm smiles, happy that the family was reunited. It had been a long time coming for the brothers and they deserved it.

"Let's celebrate!" Makarov shouted, taking another swig from his beer. The entire guild cheered in agreement.

"So it looks like we do have another Lennox on our hands," Mirajane smiled, looking over at Makarov.

"That we do," he answered.

"How long do you think the guild will stand?"

Makarov spit out his beer and started crying, "Why couldn't she be someone else's sister?!" he shouted, causing Mirajane to laugh.

**. : + : .**

"So where have you been all this time?" Aero asked, pulling a beer out of the fridge that was in the apartment that he shared with Dante.

"Around," Margo shrugged, leaning up against Dante on the couch. Zepplin was stretched out across her legs.

Aero gave her a flat stare, not impressed by her answer. Margo simply continued to relax on her position on the couch, unfazed by the stare. Aero then suddenly remembered that she couldn't see and frowned.

"She can't see your face Aero," Dante announced.

"I know that, but I didn't want to bring it up."

"If you're worrying about offending me, don't," Margo said, "I'd rather you say I can't see than trying to talk around it."

Dante stuck his tongue out at Aero, happy to have won an argument over his older brother, "So how did you go blind anyway?" he asked, not seeming fazed by her blindness at all. Truthfully, he felt that she could have been deaf and mute too and he wouldn't have cared. Dante was just happy to have Margo back in one piece. Even if Aero was the smarter brother, Dante could tell that Margo functioned like any other person or mage. She was possibly an even better mage for it since she could sense things sooner than most. Being a Sound Dragon Slayer was the perfect job for her.

"It was during the flood," Margo frowned, her hand stopping its movement on Zepplin's head, "When we were taken in by the river, you two were farther down than I was. After I saw you go over the edge, I started to panic. I kept trying to swim to shore and I kept getting turned around. Eventually I was turned around so hard by the water that my head ended up smacking into a rock. I was unconscious after that. The next thing I knew, I was waking up to Philomela's voice but I couldn't see anything. Everything was dark. My head hitting the rock caused me to go blind."

The two men were quite for a moment. They weren't sure what to say. It was obvious that she didn't want any sympathy, but they didn't want to stay silent either. Margo picked up on the tension in the room, knowing the two were having an internal struggle on what to say.

"You don't have to say anything," Margo stated, smiling a little when she felt Dante let out a sigh of relief, "It's just something that happened and it can't be changed now."

"We did try looking for you, you know," Aero said quietly as he plopped down in a puffy recliner chair, "But it was just like you disappeared."

"Philomela and I thought you had died, so we kind of did disappear," Margo said, "We moved to a forest far from where we lost you. We stayed there for a long time. She taught me my Dragon Slayer magic and how to live with being blind."

"So how's the dragon doing? Did she take good care of you?" Dante asked.

She did take care of me…for a while anyways," she answered, "One day she was just gone. On July 7, X777, Philomela disappeared. I waited for her for a long time, but she never came back. I don't know what happened."

"I remember Natsu saying the same thing about the dragon he lived with," Aero stated.

"So there's another Dragon Slayer?" Margo asked with interest.

"Yeah," Dante answered, "Natsu has Fire Dragon Slayer magic. You haven't met him yet since he's out with a few other people from the guild. Then there's Gajeel who has Iron Dragon Slayer magic."

"Trust me, I know about Gajeel," Margo said, rolling her eyes.

"Speaking of Gajeel," Aero started, "Why were you with him today?"

"I wasn't with him," Margo huffed, "I just happened to run into him this morning. I was apologizing to him."

"Apologizing? For what?" Aero asked, exchanging glances with Dante.

"I got into a fight with him yesterday and it was half my fault, so I wanted to apologize to him for it."

"You fought with him?" Dante asked, "Please tell me that you beat him."

"Almost," Margo grinned, "It ended up being a draw."

"That's my little sister," Dante smiled, rubbing the top of her head affectionately.

"I want you to stay away from Gajeel, Margo," Aero stated, interrupting the playful atmosphere.

"What? What are you talking about?" she asked.

"That guy is bad news," Aero continued, "I don't want you around him."

"I don't think the old man would have let him into Fairy Tail if he was bad news," Margo retorted.

"I don't care what the old man thinks," Aero snapped, causing Margo to sit up straight from his tone. Zepplin sat up with her, carefully watching Aero. Dante sat in his spot quietly, not liking where the conversation was going, "That man is more trouble than he's worth. I don't want you getting mixed up with him."

"Do you even know him?" she asked, sounding miffed.

"Do you?" he retorted, causing Margo to scowl at him, "Gajeel only recently joined Fairy Tail. Before that he was with a guild called Phantom Lord. They tried to destroy our guild. I don't want my sister hanging out with someone like that."

Margo was quiet for a moment, taking in what Aero was telling her. Though, she couldn't help but feel that he was judging Gajeel too quickly. Yes, the Iron Dragon Slayer was rough around the edges, he had a nasty mouth on him and he didn't seem to care one way or another about anyone or anything, but Margo never felt any malicious intent while she's been around him. He pretty much let her shove a muffin down his throat that morning and he never once tried to hurt her. He even stopped Dante from touching her when she was in her panicked state, which she had to thank him for now.

"While I appreciate you looking out for me," Margo started calmly, "I will choose who I spend my time with on my own; and if that happens to be Gajeel, then that's something you will just have to deal with."

"I'm telling you, Margo, stay away from him," Aero demanded.

"And I'm telling you, Aero, that I will make my own choices," she pushed back heatedly, "Besides, it's not like I'm best friends with the guy and I wasn't even hanging out with him this morning. Like I said we just ran into each other," she explained. A small wave of relief seemed to wash over Aero. Though, it didn't last all that long when Margo started talking again, "But if I ever become friends with him, I don't need you telling me to drop him. I'm eighteen and I can choose my own friends."

"Did you not hear what I just told you?" Aero growled, "He tried to destroy our guild!"

"And I wasn't a part of Fairy Tail during it," Margo hissed in reply, "So it has nothing to do with me."

"When you're wearing the Fairy Tail insignia, it has everything to do with you!" he shouted, "He tried to hurt our family! Why would you want to associate yourself with someone like that?!"

"But he didn't hurt me," she said sharply, standing to look him down, "He has never done anything to me. Why do you want me to hold YOUR grudges against him? That's not fair to him. If he's trying to make a fresh start, you're sure as hell making it harder for him."

"It should be hard for him," Aero retorted, standing in order to tower over her. He had hoped that his size would intimidate her, but it never even fazed her.

Margo stared him down, hearing Zepplin growl lowly behind her. She either needed to end the argument now or leave before the black dog became overprotective, "Who knew that MY brother would turn out to be such a prick. You call the guild your family, but you're not even giving your family a second chance to prove themselves."

"He's not my family!" he shouted, taking a step closer to her.

Before Zepplin could make a move, a large, muscular arm came between the two siblings. Dante gave Aero's chest a hard push, sending the man back a couple of feet. He then planted himself in front of Margo, sending a glare at his brother.

"Back off Aero," Dante said lowly, "It's only her first day here and you're already breathing down her neck."

"Well someone has to when she's making stupid mistakes," Aero huffed.

"It's not a mistake," Dante stated, surprising both Aero and Margo, "I think she's right. We should give Gajeel a chance. He seems like an all right guy and he is trying to make an effort to become part of the guild. Juvia and Mirajane see it too."

Aero couldn't say anything in response. He simply stood there, a heated glare covering his face.

"Well, on that note, I'm leaving for the night," Margo said, turning around to face Zepplin, "Are you ready to go boy?" she asked, rubbing the top of his head to get him to calm down.

"Margo," Dante frowned, "You don't have to go."

"It's all right Dante," she said, giving him a tight hug, "I think it's best for everyone to cool down. Plus, I'll meet you both at the guild tomorrow. You promised me that you would show me your magic. Neither of you would break a promise to your little sister would you?" she asked with a pout.

"Of course not," Dante smiled. The two waited for Aero to respond. He was looking away from the pair, trying his best to ignore them. Dante then smacked him hard in the stomach, causing the air to be knocked out of him.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be there to show you what I can do," Aero managed to say when he caught his breath.

"Great!" she grinned, "Then I can show you mine too."

"Sounds like a plan," Dante said as they walked to the door, "Are you sure you don't want me to walk you home?"

"I'll be okay. I've made it all this time on my own. I think I can handle the walk to Fairy Hills," she answered, "Plus, I have Zepplin."

"All right, if you say so," Dante said, "Just be careful."

"I will be. Have a good night."

"You too," he smiled and waved as she began her walk down the street. Before he could shut the door, Aero was grabbing his leather jacket and pushing his way out the door, "Where are you going?" Dante called after him.

"Out for a walk," he answered, not looking back at him.

"Just don't screw up this time!" Dante shouted before shutting the door.

"And I'm supposed to be the smart one," Aero sighed. He put his coat on, the leather forming to his body. He dug in one of the inside pockets and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a silver lighter. The package was red and white and read 'Marlboro' in thick, black letters. He pulled out one cigarette and stuck it in his mouth while shoving the pack back into his pocket. He snapped the lighter to life and lit the stick. He breathed in deeply while he slid the lighter into the pocket as well. Once the lighter was put away, he pulled the cigarette away from his mouth and blew out a long stream of smoke.

Aero watched the smoke dance across the dark sky, enjoying the swirls it created. He knew it was a bad habit, but it was one that he couldn't break. He had started it a few years after joining Fairy Tail, so he was too far into the habit to break it now.

Aero saw Margo a few yards ahead of him. He picked his pace up a little until he was walking right next to her. He heard her sniff the air, expecting her to start giving him a hard time about it.

"You smoke?" she asked. He was surprised by the calmness in her voice and the smile on her lips.

"Yeah. Does it bother you?"

"Not really," she shrugged, "It could be worse. You could be a man whore."

"You never know, I could be that too," he smirked.

"I know," she smirked back, "I don't smell any women on you. If you catch my drift."

He flushed lightly, but made no comment back to her. The two walked in silence for some time. Once Aero finished his cigarette, he dropped it to the ground and smashed it with his boot. He sighed before he finally started to talk, "I didn't mean to yell at you."

"I know," she said softly, "I didn't mean to push your buttons."

"I guess we have a lot to learn about each other."

"I guess so," she replied, a frown playing at her lips.

"How about this, I'll make a deal with you," he said, not wanting to see her so sad.

"You have my interest," Margo said.

"If you can beat me in a spar tomorrow, then I will give Gajeel a chance," he explained, "But if I win, then there's no more talk of Gajeel and you'll stay away from him."

"There's not much of a choice there," she said, a frown still on her lips. It quickly turned into a smirk though, when she stuck her hand out to him, "So I guess I'll just have to kick your ass."

"I'd like to see you try," he smirked back, shaking her hand.

"You do remember that you're taking on a Dragon Slayer, right?" she asked, laughing when he cursed out loud. In the back of her mind, Margo knew he challenged her on purpose, knowing he would lose. She supposed that he hadn't turned out to be the total prick that she had thought.

* * *

**A/N: **Well that was it. Hope you all enjoyed it! I'll have the next chapter up soon!

Remember to review please!

Yours Truly,

MyDearWatson


	3. First Mission

**A/N: **Whoo! Another chapter up!

I really enjoyed this one too since I got to show off Dante's and Aero's magic. I hope you like what they can do!

I want to thank Link for the awesome review!

Link - I'm so glad that you're excited about the GajeelxOC pairing! I wanted to do something different than GajeelxLevy and I feel that Margo's personality fits him better. I'm not sure if peach muffins are good or not. I've never had one. But I like peaches and I like muffins, so I thought, what the hell! Why not combine them?! And it was something different and Margo is different so it worked! I had already decided going into this story that I wasn't going to do the Oracion Seis arc. I'm not a huge fan of that arc and it took me FOREVER to get through it. Sorry if you were looking forward to that arc, but I just can't do it. I figured this story would be a little bit of both the canon arcs and my own in between arcs. Hopefully it will turn out well. Hope you enjoy the spar and the chapter! (sorry if I rambled a bit too much there, lol!)

I don't own Fairy Tail!

Please enjoy!

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**Chapter 3: First Mission**

Margo slowly made her way to Fairy Tail. She didn't get a lot of sleep that night since she was thinking about her brothers all night. Plus, she would be finding out what magic they used today, having a spar with Aero and then hopefully finding her first mission to go on. She had to start making money soon in order to pay her rent next month. Both Aero and Dante had insisted that she come live with them, but she refused. She was so used to being on her own that it would have been hard for her to suddenly live with two people. Their apartment was on the smaller side as well, so it would have felt crowded with three people and a dog living there. She was also pretty sure that they would have been all up in her business as well. She wouldn't have been able to handle that very well, considering her short temper.

She finally made it to the outside of Fairy Tail, the place already seeming to be in an uproar. She heard several people wrestling while others were laughing. She smiled to herself. Margo was glad she decided to come to Fairy Tail. She loved all the sounds it created.

Margo finally opened the door, Zepplin striding in before her. She stepped into the place, heading towards the bar where she knew Mirajane would be. Before she could get too far into the room, two muscled arms grabbed her around her waist.

"What the hell?!" she shouted, "Put me down!"

"Good morning Margo!" Dante said loudly, hugging her tightly.

"I should have known it was you," Margo sighed, "Is this going to become a routine thing?"

"I have to make up for the time I lost."

"So that would be a yes."

"Really, it could be worse," Aero smirked, appearing in front of her, "You could be shown up by your big brother. Oh wait, that's what's going to happen today."

"You wish," Margo retorted, crossing her arms while Dante still held her up in the air, "You won't win against a Dragon Slayer."

"But you haven't even seen what I can do."

"Well let me at least see what Dante can do first."

"My guild!" Makarov cried, "At least take this out back."

"Of course, Master," Aero said, starting to walk towards the back door. Everyone in the guild began following him as well, wanting to see the test of strength that would be happening today.

"Could you at least put me down, Dante?" Margo asked.

"It's just quicker this way," he grinned, lifting Margo up onto his shoulders.

"Dante! This is embarrassing!" Margo yelled, her hands going around his neck to keep herself steady.

"No it's not," he laughed.

"Maybe not for you," she mumbled, a faint blush on her cheeks.

"It's not embarrassing," Mirajane smiled, suddenly appearing next to the pair, "It's cute. You should just let him have this moment. He's waited a long time for it."

Margo didn't say anything in reply. She could only tighten her grip on her brother, trying her best to hide the flush on her cheeks. She felt happy that Dante was so open with her. It almost made it feel like they hadn't missed fourteen years with each other. She knew it would be easier to get to know him than Aero. Even if Aero smirked and teased her, Margo knew that he wasn't completely opening himself up to her. He was still holding back, like he was afraid she would disappear again. It was like he didn't want to get close out of fear of being hurt. Margo sighed, laying her head on top of Dante's. She didn't want to think about things like that. It only reminded her of what had happened fourteen years ago.

Dante frowned at her actions, looking over at Mirajane. She smiled up at him, silently letting him know that things would be okay. Dante nodded at her and tightened his own grip on Margo's legs.

Everyone finally made it outside, the bystanders taking seats around a wide open space. It had been the same space the Margo had used two days ago to fight Gajeel. It had been cleaned up in that time period, looking as if nothing had even transpired there. Dante lifted Margo up off his shoulders, gently placing her on the ground. She quickly steadied herself and walked over to stand by Mirajane.

"So it looks like I get to go first," Dante grinned, walking to the middle of the open area, "Make sure you pay attention Margo."

"Of course," she smiled. She planted her feet firmly on the ground in order to feel the vibrations of what was happening.

The crowd went silent as Dante took a deep breath. Dante then broke the silence by shouting, "Stone Make: Pillar!"

A huge pillar of stone appeared next to Dante, rising high enough to block out the sun. Margo's eyes went wide when she felt the vibrations in the ground, knowing that the stone was wide. She knew it was tall as well when she felt the stone's shadow cover her face. Suddenly she felt the ground right under her feet start to shake. She barely heard Dante's shout 'Stone Pillar' again before she went flying into the air. She wasn't sure how she managed it, but she kept herself planted on the stone under her. The pillar finally stopped, Margo feeling the sun on her face again. She knew then that she was just as high up as the first pillar.

"What the hell Dante?!" she shouted down at him, hearing laughing coming from below her from the entire crowd.

"Well you wanted to see what I could do. Why not make you part of the show?" he smiled up at her.

"You're so lucky that you aren't the one I'm fighting today!"

"Hold still!" he replied, ignoring her comment, "Stone Make: Stairs."

Before Margo could say anything else, she felt the pillar start to move again. She stood completely still as the pillar started to separate into evenly cut, rectangle pieces. The stone pieces moved into a swirled shape all the way down to the ground. Margo could slightly feel the other pillar do the same thing. Margo kept still, feeling nervous since she couldn't stomp on the stone plank she was on to feel the other planks since they weren't connected.

Dante began running up the other stone staircase, the steps falling back into the ground as he ran up them. He quickly came to the top of the first stair case and jumped from the top step to the other staircase. He landed solidly on the steps in front of Margo with a wide grin.

"So what do you think?" he asked.

"I think I'll feel better once I'm on the ground," she answered, flicking her eyes around her.

"Can't you feel where the steps are at?" he asked with a frown.

"Not when they're not connected."

"And you don't have a move that could show you where the steps are?" he asked, scratching the top of his head.

"I do, but I don't want to waste any magic right now when I have to fight Aero still," she answered, "Plus, the move still wouldn't connect the stairs so it would still be a little iffy."

"So that means I could have beaten you?" he asked, a smirk growing at his lips.

"That's not what I said!" she yelled.

"It totally is!" he laughed.

"Not if this was a real fight," she huffed.

"Then we'll have to spar some time."

"Fine, whatever. Can you just get me down please?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Yep," he said, a smile still on his face, "Plant your feet firmly and hold onto my shoulders."

Margo quickly did as she was told, not wanting to be up in the air any longer than she had to. Once she was ready, Dante began lowering the steps back into the ground. The two went rushing down, Margo clamping her hands down tighter from the free falling feeling. The two landed with a light 'thump', Margo jumping away from the space quickly. She didn't want to wait around to find out if Dante would try pulling the same trick.

Once she felt comfortable on the ground again, Margo turned towards Dante, "So Stone Make Magic then?"

"Yeah. What do you think?"

"I think it suits you. You always talked about how you were the strongest," Margo smiled, "And it seems like you've been training hard too."

"I have," Dante said, "I have things I want to protect and this magic helps me do that."

"I'm glad to hear," Margo replied.

"All right, all right," Aero interrupted, standing in front of Dante, "Enough of this mushy talk. It's time for you to fight me," he said, smirking at Margo, "And remember our deal."

"I remember," Margo said, setting her dulls eyes on Gajeel for a short moment. The Iron Dragon Slayer picked up on it, but did nothing to react to the stare. It wasn't like she would be able to see him glare at her. Though, he did have to wonder what this deal was about and why she looked at him when it was brought up.

"Wait. What deal?" Dante asked.

"It's none of your business," Aero stated, glancing back at Dante, "It's just between Margo and I."

"And I'm going to win it," Margo added before walking to the edge of the open circle. She then turned to face Aero, taking a defense stance, "Let's go."

"All right," Aero said, standing on the opposite side of Margo, "I'll let you have the first shot."

"You really shouldn't have done that," she smirked.

Margo pulled her right arm back before bringing it forward as hard as she could, "Sound Dragon's Sonic Boom!" she shouted, releasing the magic attack at Aero. A wave of sound was sent flying towards Aero, the older sibling simply just standing there. He waited for the last possible moment before lifting his hands in the air.

"Motorcycle Equip: Speedster!" he shouted. In a whirl of silver magic, a wicked looking bike appeared. It was a medium sized bike, built for speed. It was jet black with silver streaks going down the main body of it. Aero quickly jumped on it, revved the engine loudly and took off to the right just in time to dodge Margo's attack.

"What the hell?!" Margo shouted, "What kind of magic is that?"

"Motorcycle Equip," Aero answered with a smirk, "I can summon motorcycles at my own will."

"Yeah, well, it's gonna take more than a little bike with some speed to beat me," Margo stated.

"It's not just a little bike," Aero said, "And it's faster than you think."

Aero then took off at top speed, almost seeming to disappear to the crowd. He then grabbed a solid steel staff that he had attached to his back. He steadied the bike with one hand and swung the staff at Margo.

Margo took the hit across the chest. It knocked the air out of her and sent her flying back a few yards. She came to a sliding stop, dust rising around her. After a moment, she pushed herself to a standing position and smirked, "I'll show you what true speed is about," she stated, "Sound Dragon's Speed of Sound!" she shouted and took off in the blink of an eye. The crowd couldn't see her at all. Aero couldn't even see her as he frantically looked around the fighting area. He tried to keep his guard up the best he could, but unfortunately it didn't help all that much. Margo suddenly appeared on his left side and kicked him off of his seat, the kick having the extra strength with her 'Sonic Boom' added in. Aero was sent flying off his bike. He managed to slam one end of his staff into the ground to stop him from flying into the guild.

"Seems like speed won't work with you after all," Aero said, "Motorcycle Equip: Gunman!" he shouted.

The silver magic appeared again, causing the Speedster to disappear and a new bike to take its place. This bike was much bigger and wider. The seat was wide and made out of black leather and most of the bike was made of chrome. The main body of it was solid black. On each side of the bike were large machine guns that could reload themselves.

Aero quickly jumped onto the bike and turned towards Margo, "I hope you know how to block," he smirked.

"Take cover!" Dante shouted while the entire crowd ran from the area that Aero was facing.

Aero started up the machine guns, sending endless bullets towards Margo. Margo jumped up high upon hearing the guns go off. She figured that if she jumped high enough, the bullets wouldn't be able to reach her. She was dead wrong. The guns could move around on the bike and the bullets quickly followed her up in the air.

"Shit, shit, shit!" she cursed, trying to think of what she could use to stop the barrage of bullets. Finally an idea hit her and she smirked, "Sound Dragon's Sonic Bullets!" she shouted, holding her right hand out like a gun. Giant bullets of sound came flying out of her finger, each of her bullets hitting Aero's and stopping them in their path. The metal pieces began falling from the sky and littered the ground.

Aero's eyes went wide at seeing someone stopping his Gunman bike, "Dammit," he cursed, "And it doesn't matter what angle I use it from, she's gonna hear the bullets," he said to himself as he watched Margo land gracefully on the ground. He then smirked, thinking of the perfect attack plan, "Motorcycle Equip: Silent Killer!" he shouted.

The Gunman disappeared and the new bike appeared in its place. This bike was sleek and dark blue, but there seemed to be nothing fancy about this specific bike. Aero revved the engine, but no sound came out of the bike at all. It was deadly silent, clearly living up to its name. When Aero started to move forward, the bike lifted itself ever so slightly off the ground, so as not to make any noise or vibrations at all.

Margo stomped her feet several times when she couldn't feel the bike sitting on the ground. She became confused and a little nervous since she couldn't sense anything. Then out of nowhere, she was smacked in the shoulder by Aero's steel staff. Aero quickly turned back around, landing another hit on Margo. This continued on for a few minutes until Margo started to become angry at getting hit over and over again. She had, had enough of it and it was time to end it.

"Sound Dragon's Sonic Boom!" she shouted, aiming the 'Sonic Boom' at the ground. This created enough dust and rocks to cause Aero to have to stop driving. Margo then made her next move, knowing she couldn't give Aero an opening, "Sound Dragon's Sonar!" she yelled, sending out a giant wave of sound. It bounced off of everything and sent it back to her to tell her where everything was placed. Once she found where Aero was, Margo used her 'Sound of Speed' and appeared right next to Aero, "Checkmate," she grinned before shouting, "Sound Dragon's Punch!" and punched him right in the jaw. It sent him flying off the bike and he skidded across the ground until he finally came to a stop.

The whole crowd was quiet for a moment before Aero broke the ice, "All right, you win," he groaned from the ground, throwing an arm up to cover his face.

"I told you I would win," Margo smirked.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

"Awww, is someone a sore loser?" Margo asked with a laugh.

"He's always a sore loser," Dante announced with his own laugh, picking his brother up off the ground, "He thinks he's smart enough to outwit any opponent. Looks like he still needs some practice."

"Shut up Dante," Aero mumbled while leaning on said brother for support.

"You know, I could just let you fall," Dante grinned, only receiving a huff in response from Aero, "Good fight, Margo," he said, turning his attention on his little sister, "You really have learned a lot over the years."

"Looks like both of you have too," Margo replied, "That Motorcycle Equip Magic is something special, Aero. I think it suits you too," she smiled, causing the older boy to smile back at her, "I still won the bet though," she continued with her smile while Aero's face fell, "So that means you have to give Gajeel a chance."

Dante gave him brother a surprised look, but he didn't push the subject. He was surprised that Aero made a bet at all since he was just saying the night before that he knew he wouldn't win against Margo. Dante smirked at his own thoughts. It seemed that Aero was still the good big brother even after all these years.

"Mar-chan! That was awesome!" Levy said before jumping on Margo in a big hug.

"Thanks Levy," Margo smiled.

"So you already made a friend?" Dante asked, looking down at the smaller girl.

"Yeah," Margo answered, "Levy here has been showing me around the guild and Fairy Hills."

"We still have to go into town soon once you start taking missions," Levy stated.

"I would have already taken one if these two losers hadn't stopped me yesterday," Margo said, pointing towards both of her brothers.

"Hey! You can't blame us if we wanted to spend the day with our sister that we haven't seen for fourteen years," Aero huffed.

"I agree," Dante chimed in.

"You're both just so cute when you're angry," Margo laughed.

"Whatever," Aero said, "Let's head inside."

Margo laughed as her brothers passed her, Levy soon following after them. Margo was about to follow the rest of the guild inside when she felt a tight grip on her wrist. She snapped her head up, feeling Gajeel standing in front of her. He didn't say anything, but he wasn't letting go of her wrist either. Mirajane and Makarov both caught Margo and Gajeel just standing in the open. They simply smiled though, knowing that whatever was going on between the two would be good for both of them; and they both knew that Gajeel wouldn't do anything to Margo, considering the girl could hold her own against him.

Once everyone was inside and Gajeel felt that no one could hear them, he turned his attention on Margo, "I don't need you fighting my battles," he growled lowly.

"Excuse me?" she asked, trying to yank her hand away from him.

"You don't think I heard your little exchange with your brothers?"

Margo stilled, letting out a sigh, "I wasn't trying to fight any battles for you."

"Then what was that about? That Aero has to give me a chance?" he asked, looking right into her dull eyes. He didn't care that she couldn't stare back at him, but he was sure that she somehow knew that he was staring at her and that was enough for him, "I don't need that brooding prick giving me any kind of chances."

"The way people act around you here, I think you do," Margo retorted.

"You don't know anything."

"No, I don't," Margo said, surprising Gajeel, "I don't know exactly what happened to make so many people nervous around you and honestly, I don't really care. It's none of my business and I wasn't here when Phantom Lord attacked Fairy Tail. None of it has to do with me, but Aero seems to believe it does since I'm a part of the guild now," she explained, "I know we're not friends. I mean, I'm barely friends with Levy. I told Aero that, but like the big brother that he is, he doesn't believe me. He doesn't want me hanging around you."

"He has a good point," Gajeel huffed, "You shouldn't be hanging around me."

Margo quickly bopped him on the head with her free hand, "Don't say that. Aren't you trying to make friends here?"

"I don't need to make friends."

"I think you do," Margo retorted, quickly continuing her explanation before he could interrupt her, "You just need someone to give you a chance. I wasn't going to let my brother tell me who I can and cannot hang out with when he doesn't even know the people I choose to associate myself with. So in order to prove that point to him, I agreed to the deal he proposed to me."

"But why?"

"Because I choose to trust you until you prove me otherwise," she answered honestly, "Can you trust me too?"

"How the hell am I supposed to know that?" he grumbled. He knew the retort was a defense tactic. If he ever felt nervous or out of place, he would always resort to some sort of snarky reply. Margo seemed to pick up on this since she smiled softly at him, causing him to feel more out of place.

"That's something you'll have to figure out on your own," she answered, "Mind letting me go now?" she asked, lifting up her wrist that he still had a hold of. He instantly let go of her as if her skin had suddenly turned into fire. She turned to head back into the guild, but stopped and looked back over her shoulder, "By the way, thanks for the help yesterday. Things might have turned out worse if you hadn't been there."

"Psh, you should learn how to deal with your brothers on your own," he replied, feeling stupid for falling into his comfort zone again.

"Thanks for the advice," was all she said before she walked away, leaving a confused Gajeel behind.

**. : + : .**

Inside the guild, everything had settled back to normal. Dante and Aero were currently up at the bar, Mirajane fixing up a few scratches that Aero had. Margo was about to walk up to the bar area when another thought hit her. She ended up pivoting on her heel, Zepplin following her quickly. She made her way over to the mission board, but then sweat dropped when she realized that she wouldn't be able to read any of the missions.

"Need some help?"

Margo looked beside her, feeling that it was Levy next to her. She sighed before answering, "Yes, please. If you could start reading them out loud, I'll let you know when one of them sounds good."

"All right," Levy answered, looking up at the board, "There's one for finding a lost artifact for a local museum. Another for rescuing a damsel in distress," she read off, laughing when Margo scrunched her face up at the second mission she read off, "There's one for filling in for a magician at the circus that's in town right now. Looks like he hurt himself when he tried to saw himself in half."

"Yeah, no," Margo said, "I don't want to fill in for a dumbass."

"Oh! How about this one?" Levy said, pulling a piece of paper off of the board, "Looks like there is a rouge pack of animals terrorizing a town not too far from here. They need someone to get rid of the animals before they have to move away. You seem to be good with animals," she smiled, looking down at Zepplin, "I think you could do it."

"It doesn't sound half bad," Margo replied, "How much does it pay?"

"It says 75,000 jewels to anyone who can complete the job," Levy answered.

"Then that's a definite yes," Margo smirked, "Are you ready for our first mission, Zepplin?" she asked, looking down at said dog. Zepplin barked happily in reply.

"We're coming too!" Aero and Dante announced, appearing in front of Margo and Levy.

"Hell no," Margo retorted quickly.

"As your oldest brother, I am telling you that we are coming with you," Aero pushed.

"You'll just be in the way," Margo stated, walking up to the bar to let Mirajane know she would be gone for a bit, "And I don't want to split the money. I need it for rent."

"We won't take the money," Dante said.

"Then what the hell are you coming for?"

"To make sure you don't get hurt!" both brothers stated.

Margo rolled her eyes as she turned her attention to Mirajane, "I'm taking this mission, so Zepplin and I will be gone for a few days."

"And your brothers?" Mirajane laughed.

Both men stared at her with big watery eyes while they whimpered, "Tch, I guess they're coming with me too," she mumbled, causing them to high five each other.

"I think it's a good thing that they're coming with you," Mirajane said, "It'll give you all time to bond."

"Maybe, if I don't knock them out first," Margo said.

"It's only because they've missed you so much," Mirajane whispered, "A love of a sibling never dies. You should asked Dante about his necklace and Aero about his left arm," she smiled. Margo looked up at Mirajane, feeling like she knew something she didn't, "Now, have a good time on your mission and come back safely!"

"Thanks Mira" Margo said before turning to exit the guild, "See ya, Levy," she added as she passed said girl. Margo then grabbed both Aero's and Dante's wrists, "Come on you morons. Let's get this mission started."

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**A/N: **There you go! Hope you all enjoyed it. I'll have the next one up soon!

Please remember to review!

Yours Truly,

MyDearWatson


	4. Hellhound

**A/N: **Whooo! Another chapter!

I wanted to post a chapter before I hit the road for ten hours tomorrow, so I decided on my main fic. I'm hoping to add a short tonight to 'Fairy Tail's 100 Omake' as well since I didn't get to add one yesterday. My family that I'm visiting and I went out to a theme park and I came home and promptly went to bed afterwards. So I'll see what I can do for that fic, and you readers should check that one out too!

Anyways...

I would like to thank Link, animelover44163 and a Guest for their reviews!

Link - Glad to hear that my rambling isn't a bad thing, lol. I hope you enjoy this chapter and the sibling interactions!

animelover44163 - Thanks for the review and compliment! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Guest - Thank you very much! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

I don't own Fairy Tail!

Please enjoy!

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**Chapter 4: Hellhound**

"Oi! It's so hot!" Dante complained as he peeled his white tank top off of him, "And there's nothing to look at!"

"Yeah, how are we supposed to enjoy this mission if there's nothing to look at?" Aero chimed in, "It makes it so boring."

A vein pulsed on Margo's forehead while one of her eyes twitched. It had only been a half day into their trip and she was already wishing she had left both men at the guild. She was pretty sure if Zepplin hadn't been there to calm her down, she would have smacked them all the way back to Fairy Tail by now.

Though, she did have to agree with her brothers. From what she could feel from the vibrations in her feet, it didn't feel like the scenery was much to look at. She had done a little research with Levy on the area while she waited for her brothers to pack some things for the trip. The mission was located on an island called Makai Island, which she had found out translated into Hell Island. She had to wonder what kind of people would even chose to live on an island with a name like that. The island lived up to its name as well. The land was fairly flat with grasslands surrounding the outer edge of the island. The farther inland that they had moved though, heated, black rocks began to coat the earth. Right in the middle of the island was a huge volcano. It was known that it was active, but there hadn't been any big explosions for almost a century. It was like a giant heater for the island, keeping temperatures at 90 degrees or higher. There were a few places where magma could be seen swirling near the volcano's base.

Margo wasn't thrilled with the area herself, but she chose to keep her opinions to herself. It wasn't like complaining would make the situation better. Besides, she was already in a bad mood from having to ride on the boat over to the island. Transportation never sat well with her and she practically threw up the entire boat ride. If she had, had the energy to kick Aero in the nuts for laughing at her, she would have. Luckily for her, Dante was on her side and he smacked Aero upside the head.

This led up to their current position – walking along the island's outer area. They could feel the intense heat from the volcano even on the outer side of the island. Margo was leading the way, having finally gotten over her nausea, with Zepplin right next to her. She had bumped into him a few times, the black dog seeming to have moved closer to her than normal. She peered down at him when he knocked into her for a fourth time. He felt nervous to her, which was unusual for him. Zepplin had always been confident and brave around her, ready to defend her at a moments notice; but right now he seemed like a scared puppy.

"Zepplin?" she questioned, ignoring her still complaining brothers, "Are you all right, boy?"

Zepplin nudged his nose into her hand in hopes of reassuring her that he was okay. Margo rubbed the top of his head, but she was still concerned about the dog. He was, after all, her partner and the only friend she had kept for a long period of time. He was her family.

"Watch out Margo!" Aero called out.

"We'll protect you baby sister!" Dante added.

Both men moved to stand in front of her, causing her to fall backwards on her butt.

"What the hell?!" Margo shouted.

"You almost stepped on a crab," Dante answered, "It could have hurt you with its massive claws."

Margo thumped her fist on the ground, discovering there actually was a crab in the sand; albeit a tiny crab, "Oh yeah, it's so massive. I could have been pinched to death," she grumbled as she stood up and dusted herself off, "Let's keep moving."

"You're not even gonna thank us?" Aero asked, quickly following her.

Margo whipped her head around quickly, sending a glare at both men that made both of them freeze instantly, "Hell no. It was just a damn crab and you made me fall in the process."

"Ungrateful brat," Aero mumbled under his breath.

"I heard that," Margo said as they continued moving forward.

Things were quiet for a little while after that. Margo kept her place at the front of their small group while the men stayed in the back, making sure things stayed safe for their sister. The group began passing a small patch of trees, Margo suddenly hearing something hissing above her. She turned her head upwards just as Dante and Aero moved to "rescue" her again. Margo tried to move backwards as the snake that had been hissing dropped down on them from the trees, but Aero stood directly behind her. She slammed into him while the snake twirled itself around both of them. The two fell to the ground, rolling around in order to get the reptile off of them.

"I got it!" Dante yelled, pulling hard at the snake. This caused the tangled pair to go spinning in one direction while the snake was thrown in the opposite direction, "You're safe now Margo!"

"Are you okay?" Aero asked, looking over her carefully.

"I'm fine," she huffed, "Now get off!" she growled, pushing him off of her, "And I would have been safer if I had just come alone like I had wanted to in the first place. You two keep getting in the way."

"We were just trying to help," Dante frowned.

"Yeah, you don't have to be a brat about it," Aero scowled at her.

"I'm not trying to be a brat," Margo hissed, "If you both could just get it through those thick skulls of yours that I'm not some fragile doll and that I can take of myself, I wouldn't be acting this way."

"But you don't have to take care of yourself anymore, Margo," Dante said quietly, "You have us now."

Margo sighed heavily. She hadn't planned on hurting their feelings, but she had been on her own for so long that she didn't know how to function with people trying to take care of her. She took another deep breath, putting away her aggravation for now, "Come on, let's go. The village shouldn't be too far now."

The small group began walking in silence again, Zepplin still keeping close to Margo. Soon they came to the village that they had been looking for. It was a decent size, most of the houses setting close to the water. The group started to earn stares from the villagers the farther they walked. Eventually, one of the villagers approached the group to see what they wanted.

"Hello," a young man greeted, "Is there something that we can help you with?"

"Yes, we're here from Fairy Tail. We received your request to take care of a pack of animals terrorizing your village," Margo explained.

"Oh yes," the man smiled, "Let me take you to our elder. He was the one to send out the request. He can give you more details."

"Thank you," Margo said as they all followed the man.

As the group walked farther into the village, Aero noticed that the villagers were beginning to stare at Zepplin in fear, "Margo," he whispered, "I think the villagers are afraid of your dog."

"Afraid of Zepplin?" she whispered back, "But he wouldn't hurt a fly."

"Well they keep staring at him like he's gonna attack them," he retorted.

Margo scrunched her face up in worry, putting her hand down on Zepplin's head to make sure he was still by her. She wasn't sure why people would be scared of him, but she suddenly had a sick feeling in her stomach. Something about what was going on wasn't right.

"Here is the elder's home. You may go in and talk to him," the young man said, making sure to keep his distance from Margo. Aero nodded at him, watching him as he walked away. Aero also felt like something wrong was going on. He was pretty sure that this mission had more going on than what the original request called for.

"Hello?" Margo called out when they went into the elder's home.

"Please come in," a low voice said.

Once they were fully inside, they saw an older man sitting on a chair while sharpening a spear at a wooden table. His hair was ghost white and he had a long beard. Even though the man was older, he still had a hefty amount of muscle on him and his skin was tan from being out in the sun for long hours. He had a red and black beaded necklace with a golden circle on the end of it, most likely to indicate that he was the leader of the village. He was shirtless to show off more muscle and he wore baggy black pants and sandals.

"Hello," Margo repeated, bowing slightly to show respect, "We are here from Fairy Tail to answer the request that you sent out."

"I was hoping that someone would answer that soon," he said, running the sharpening rock across the spear one last time before setting it down. He looked up at the small group, the clearest blue eyes giving them a once over, "You're an oddly put together group."

"Tell me about it," Margo said, earning a huff from Aero, "It's mainly my mission, but these two insisted on coming with me," she explained, pointing at Aero and Dante.

"We have to protect our sister!" Dante yelled, "As Elfman would say, real men protect their sisters!"

Margo sighed, "You see what I'm dealing with?" she asked the elder.

"It's admirable that they want to protect what is precious to them," the old man retorted with a serious face, causing Margo to go quiet, "My name is Kalani Kona. I am the leader of this village."

"My name is Margo Lennox. These are my brothers, Aero and Dante," she motioned to each man, "And this is my partner, Zepplin," she gestured down to the black dog.

Kalani's eyes went wide upon seeing Zepplin, "You travel with the devil," he accused.

"What?" Margo asked, stepping in front of Zepplin to protect him, "Zepplin isn't a devil. He's my dog."

"He is a hellhound," Kalani answered sharply, "You have brought a bad omen into my village. Get out!"

"Hey!" Margo shouted, standing her ground against the older man, "We came to help you! If you make us go, then you'll still be dealing with whatever is terrorizing your village. And I didn't travel on a damn boat to get here only to be turned away!"

"The hellhounds are what's attacking our village!" Kalani bellowed, "Why should I expect you to help us when you have one as a partner?"

"Kalani!" an older woman's voice interrupted the argument, "That is enough."

A woman entered the main room from a hallway. Her hair was just as white as Kalani's and it was pulled up in a bun with red chopsticks holding it together. She wore a white tank top with a black skirt and sandals. She looked just as in shape as Kalani as well.

"I'm sorry for my husband's rudeness," the woman said, "He has a deep fear of the hellhounds, even if he hates to admit it. He tends to forget his manners when they are brought up in conversation," she explained, "My name is Clio and thank you for coming to our aid."

"You're welcome," Aero answered since it seemed like Margo was still heated from her argument with Kalani.

Clio looked down at Zepplin with surprised eyes, "So he really is a hellhound," she said, taking a hesitant step towards the dog. Kalani tried to stop her, but she brushed him off, "He looks scared though."

"He's been like that since we got on the island," Margo explained, "And all the yelling and calling him a devil probably didn't help!" she growled at Kalani, "He can understand what you're saying, you know!"

"All hellhounds can understand speech and they can talk too," Clio replied, inching closer to Zepplin still.

"Talk?" Margo asked, "Zepplin has never talked once."

Clio shrugged as she reached out to pet Zepplin's head. Zepplin sat still, seeming to know that the people of the village were wary of him. Clio rubbed his head gently before moving to scratch behind his ears. She then bent down to his level with a soft smile, "He's no devil. He's a sweetheart," she said, laughing when Zepplin licked her cheek.

"Zepplin would never intentionally hurt someone. He only get's defensive when he's protecting me," Margo explained.

"Can I see him change into his bigger form?" Clio asked, looking up at Margo.

"I don't think that would help the villagers in trusting him," Margo answered, "But I'm sure you'll see it if the rouge pack you called us here about shows up."

"How were you able to tame him?" Kalani asked, having calmed down some.

"I didn't tame him. It's not like I went in the wild to find him," Margo answered with a huff, "I didn't even know he was a hellhound. I thought he was just a magical dog that no one wanted anymore."

"What do you mean?" Clio asked.

"I found him in a city a ways from here. It was raining and he was sitting alone in an alleyway," Margo frowned, "So I threw a blanket over him and took him into a nearby hotel with me. I got him cleaned up and fed and let him sleep there for the night. When I tried to leave the next day, he kept on following me. I didn't want to leave him there alone again, so I adopted him and we've been together ever since," she smiled at the memory, "He's not my pet. He's my family."

"He was lucky to find you," Clio said, "But it's strange that he was so far from the island. As far as I know, hellhounds are only found in places with extreme heat. They normally don't go that far into a city."

"It doesn't matter the reason why he was in the city," Kalani stated, "All that matters is that they can help us."

"Would you mind explaining the situation?" Aero asked.

"Of course," Kalani answered, "We have always shared the island with the hellhounds and for the most part we haven't had any problems with them. We stay on the outer edge of the island and they stay closer to the volcano. Recently, though, it seems like a pack of them have gone rouge and started attacking our village. We've tried reasoning with them, but they refuse to listen to anything we have to say. Luckily, no one has died yet, but there have been injuries. I don't want to see any of my people die. Something needs to be done about the pack."

"You look like you're strong enough to handle a pack of them," Aero stated, "Why not kill them if they have gone bad?"

"Aero!" Margo hissed, "You can't just kill them."

"She's right," Kalani said, "If we do, then it would create a war with the entire pack on the island. If that happens, then my people will die."

"So you want us to find a peaceful way to solve this?" Aero asked.

"It's either that or wiping out the entire pack on the island."

"I am NOT killing these animals," Margo stated without room for argument, "I will find a way to solve this peacefully. Now where exactly do the hellhounds reside?"

"There is a path that leads farther into the island," Kalani answered, "It will lead you far enough inland to reach the hellhounds."

"Great," she said, turning to leave, "Let's get this started."

"We will prepare a house for you three to be ready by the time you come back," Clio said, "Please be careful."

"We will be," Margo called back as the group exited the house.

"Looks like the path he was talking about is just a little ahead," Dante said, "I'm gonna go check it out first!"

Margo and Aero watched as he ran ahead of them, both of them seeming to be in thought. Margo reached down to touch Zepplin, concerned about everything that Kalani and Clio had told them about. She then bent down to Zepplin's level, scratching under his chin.

"So boy," she started lowly so that only Aero and Zepplin could hear her, "Can you talk just like Clio said?" she asked, feeling Zepplin still under her hands. He then bent his head down as if in shame and whined a little. Margo sighed, "I didn't think so, but that doesn't make you any less of a dog, or I guess it would be a hellhound. You really are something special, you know," she stated with a grin, "Because you're my dog. Were you afraid of me finding out what you were?" she asked, receiving another whine from Zepplin, "Silly dog. You're my family regardless of you being a hellhound or not. You always protect me and that's more important than what kind of dog you are or if you can talk."

"Margo, we should go," Aero said quietly.

"I know," she said, standing back up while giving Zepplin once last pat on the head, "I'm worried though, Aero. Why would the hellhounds suddenly start attacking the village if they've lived this peacefully so far?"

"I suppose that's the first thing we have to find out," he replied, "And what are we going to do if a war does start? I know you don't want to kill any of them, but I won't simply stand by and watch them kill innocent people."

"I know," Margo answered, "Hopefully we can come to a peaceful conclusion. I wonder if the entire pack even knows if they have a rouge group going out like that."

"Well, I guess we'll find out soon enough," Aero said as the two entered the path that Dante had disappeared down.

Aero and Margo managed to eventually catch up to Dante, who had been distracted by the different plants and flowers long enough for them to do so. The beginning of their walk was filled with all sorts of vegetation, birds and small animals. Though, as they continued closer towards the volcano, those things began to disappear. Eventually it became almost complete, black rock with small shrubs sprouting up here and there.

"It's even hotter now," Dante whined, his body bent over at his waist, "It would be cooler if I could just…"

"Leave your pants on!" Margo hissed when she heard his belt buckle unlock. Dante quickly buckled the belt back up while Aero laughed at him.

"But Maaaarrrrgoooo," Dante whined again.

"Don't start!" Margo yelled, "God! It's like taking care of a two-year-old."

"Then how am I supposed to cool off?"

"So help me God! We will turn back to the village and I will leave you there!" she shouted, turning on her heel to face her brothers. When she did so, she suddenly came face to face with a monstrous sized dog. She could feel its hot breath on her skin, knowing super sharp teeth weren't too far away. Blood red eyes stared her down, daring her to move. Its massive body was filled with thick muscle, towering over her completely, "Whoa," Margo managed to breath out.

"Margo!" Aero and Dante shouted.

"Stop," Margo ordered, "Don't move and don't speak. It'll only make things worse."

Both men went silent as they watched the scene play out. Everything in their being told them to push the hellhound out of the way and grab their sister, but at the same time they knew Margo was right. It would only make things worse. They stayed still, but kept their guard up just in case they would have to jump into action.

The hellhound in front of Margo sniffed her for a moment before growling lowly and letting out a loud bark. This is what finally made Zepplin snap. He barked loudly back, jumping in front of Margo and turning into his larger form. He was a little smaller than the other hellhound, but he more broadly built with the same think muscle. His eyes glowed a bright red while he growled lowly at the other hound. The only other difference that could be seen between the two was Zepplin's white Fairy Tail marking.

"Zepplin," Margo said softly, placing a hand on the side of his leg, "It's all right. Calm down. I'm not hurt yet."

Zepplin didn't back down and snorted roughly in reply.

"Who are you?" the unknown hellhound asked in a gruff voice.

"Holy shit! They do talk!" Dante yelled.

"Dante, shut up," Margo hissed. She then turned her attention back to the hellhound, "My name is Margo. I have come on behalf of the village on this island to speak to your pack."

"We don't associate with humans," the hound retorted quickly, "Especially ones that come into our territory unannounced."

"I apologize if we've invaded your land," Margo said, bowing her head lowly. She knew that getting smart with the hellhound wouldn't end well. She would have to swallow her pride for now, "But we wish to speak to your pack or at least your leader. We mean no offense," she continued before hissing at her brothers, "Bow you idiots!"

Aero and Dante quickly followed her command, bowing low like her.

The hellhound stared the group down for a moment. Finally he let out a loud huff, "Fine. Since you're the most respectful human I've come across, I'll take you to my leader. But don't step out of line. It won't end well for you if you do."

"Of course," Margo said, standing up straight, "Thank you."

The hellhound turned back down the path, the group following them. Zepplin stayed in his larger form, keeping to close to Margo. Everything was quiet for a while, not even a single chirp from a bird. Margo decided to try to talk to the hound in hopes of gaining more information before talking to his leader.

"May I ask what your name is?" she asked, looking straight ahead of her. Her sunglasses kept her dull eyes hidden from the hound, but he seemed to notice something off about her.

"Brutus," he answered lowly.

"Have you had any trouble with the village recently, Brutus?" she asked, wanting to get straight to the point.

"That's not something that I should discuss with you."

"I see," she said with a sigh. Margo decided not to push for any other information. She didn't want to anger the hound.

"But," he said gruffly, "You could say that we've been having territory issues with the humans."

Margo's head popped up at his answer, her eyes going wide under her sunglasses, "Really? Why?"

"I can't tell you any more than that. You'll have to discuss it with my leader."

"All right," she smiled softly, happy to have gotten some information out of him.

"I would also suggest that you keep the two men quiet," he said, "They look like they'll just end up saying something stupid."

"Hey!" Aero shouted. He could handle a lot of things, but he couldn't tolerate being called stupid, "I'm not an idiot!"

Brutus barked and turned on him, "You're shouting like one!"

"Aero! Stop!" Margo shouted, quickly moving in between Aero and Brutus.

"Why should I stop? He's the one calling me stupid!"

"Yeah, and he's a lot bigger than you are," Margo retorted, "And if you start a fight here, I'm sure more of his pack will show up. We didn't come here to fight, remember?"

"So you're just going to let him call us stupid? We're your brothers!"

"I will let him call you anything he wants so long as it keeps us alive," she growled.

Aero glared at Margo for a few minutes before huffing out, "Whatever. But if they do anything to you or Dante then I won't be held accountable for my actions. Because that's what siblings are supposed to do for each other."

Margo was quiet for a moment, taking in what he said. She just kept on feeling guiltier and guiltier throughout the day. She knew that she should be more open to her brothers and stick up for them, but she just couldn't seem to do it. It was hard for her to transition into having a family. Aero had explained to her that Fairy Tail was their family as well and now that she had joined the guild, it was her family too. Margo didn't know how to deal with it all. The only person she had around for a long period of time was Zepplin, and he didn't even talk. How did they expect her to suddenly be okay with having such a large family? She couldn't even function properly with just her brothers and they were blood related.

Margo sighed, turning her attention back to the hellhound in front of her, "Brutus, please don't take offense to his words. He didn't mean it."

"Like he-" Aero began, but was quickly cut off by Dante covering his mouth with his hand. Aero looked up at the taller man, seeing Dante shake his head at him. Aero knew that Dante was just as hurt by Margo letting Brutus get away with his words; he could see the sadness lingering in his eyes. Though, he understood then that the issue wasn't worth fighting. It could be saved for another time when there wasn't a killer hound in front of them.

"As I said, keep them in line," Brutus huffed out, "My leader won't be so kind to let disrespect like that slide."

"We understand," Margo said.

The walk continued in silence after that. Brutus led the way with Margo and Zepplin close behind and Aero and Dante taking up the rear. The two men were zoned out, trying to come up with ways to talk to their sister. It saddened them to see her so cut off from them. Granted, they did just find each other a few days ago, but she still seemed to keep her distance from them and all the other Fairy Tail mages. They had seen her in discussions a few times with Levy and Mirajane, but they were fairly short and she never really seemed to open up to the women either. Somehow they would have to get through to her and let her know that it was okay to depend on others.

As the group continued walking, they started to notice hellhounds starting to appear. Some were in their smaller form and others were in their larger form, but all of them stared at the group as they walked by. Even Margo, who seemed unfazed by most intimidating things, appeared a little nervous. It was hard not to be when numerous, giant dogs with razor sharp teeth surrounded them. Both Aero and Dante also seemed to pick up on the fact that many of the hellhounds zeroed in on Zepplin. They stared at him as if they knew him. It made them feel even more uneasy.

Eventually, the group made it to a large opening that was only filled with black rocks. Swirling magma could be seen off in the distance. A plethora of hellhounds were in the opening, some lying on piles of rocks while others laid in caves that the rocks had created. Again, some were in the smaller form while others were in the larger form. A few pups ran around, playing with each other. Their playing came to a sudden stop when all eyes turned on the small group entering their territory. Ears perked up at them and a few of the hounds growled lowly at the humans entering their home.

"Brutus!" a booming voice shouted from the hellhounds. A hulking beast of a dog approached their group. He stood taller than Brutus and was just as broad as Zepplin. His eyes were a bright red, staring the humans down, "What is the meaning of this?! Bringing humans to our home?!"

"Slade," Brutus said, dipping his head down to the larger hound, "They have come with a request to speak with the Alpha."

"That doesn't mean you bring them to our home," Slade growled, "Send them away. I don't want their stink here."

"I know this is out of protocol," Brutus continued, "But at least let the Alpha speak with the girl. She has respect and she travels with a hellhound."

Slade turned his red eyes on Margo. She stood unflinching as the hound eyed her up and down. She knew that she was being judged and she knew that if she appeared weak in any way, she would be turned away for sure. Slade then turned his attention on Zepplin, his eyes going wide when they saw the hound. Aero and Dante watched the large dog and they could have sworn that sadness passed across his eyes.

"I don't believe it. I thought for sure you would have died," Slade whispered.

"Sir?" Brutus asked.

Slade quickly shook his head, his eyes hardening again, "She travels with trash," he growled out, "That is Diesel. He was banished from our pack five years ago."

Everything went silent again. Margo's eyes went wide as she turned to face Zepplin. She was completely thrown off by the accusation, but things started to make sense. Now she understood why Zepplin had been acting so strange and keeping so close to her. Had he really been banished from his home? Is that why she found him in the rain in an alley way five years ago? Her face then turned into a scowl. She moved in front of Zepplin and focused her anger on Slade.

"Zepplin is not trash," she growled out.

"You have a human fight your battles now, Diesel?" Slade asked, but the harshness that should have been there wasn't. It was almost like it hurt him to have to mock Zepplin, "And you even let her rename you?"

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" Margo shouted, finally gaining Slade's full attention and causing several of the hounds around them to growl, "Don't fucking call my dog trash! I'll take you down if you do it again!"

"Margo," Aero said, "I thought you said we have to go by their rules? And that you wanted to do this peacefully?"

"Fuck that!" she shouted, "No one insults my dog like that!"

"What would a puny little human like you do anyway?" Slade asked, "You wouldn't be able to take Brutus, let alone myself."

"I would take on anything and anyone for Zepplin," she said darkly, "So I suggest you back off now," she growled out, her bangs covering her eyes.

"Tell you what," Slade said, "Since you made the trip all the way out here, I'll let you talk to our Alpha," he continued, almost seeming to smirk. Aero and Dante lit up at this announcement, happy to almost be done with this situation. Margo kept her dark demeanor about her, knowing there was more to his deal, "But you have to get through Brutus to do so."

Margo didn't say anything in reply. Instead, she moved into a fighting stance.

"Margo! You can't be serious!" Aero shouted, "These dogs will eat you alive!"

"I will do it and I will win," she said lowly, her eyes still hidden beneath her hair.

Everyone moved out of the way, Dante having to keep Aero from dragging Margo away from the fight. Even if she wouldn't open up to them yet, she was protecting her family. She saw Zepplin as something precious and he had been insulted. He knew that feeling. He had beaten up several people throughout his childhood because they made fun of Aero. Whether it be because he was a broody little kid or because he was trying to learn magic that was deemed as outdated magic, Dante made sure to put them in their place. He knew all too well the anger that was flowing through Margo's veins right now. It seemed that if he and Aero wanted to be held at such a high honor in their sister's eyes, then they would have to earn that trust and not just expect it. Zepplin had earned it over the five years he had been with Margo, so it was going to take them longer than a few days to do it; but he believed that they would be able to make a place in her heart. She was, after all, their sister and her heart was just as big as theirs.

"Get back Zepplin," Margo commanded, leaving no room for argument. Zepplin understood her and moved back to stand by Dante.

"I'm sorry girl," Brutus said as he stood in front of her, "But orders are orders. I'm sure the village will have some medicinal herbs for your wounds."

"You shouldn't get ahead of yourself," she said.

"You may begin," Slade announced.

"No one insults my family and gets away with it!" she shouted, bringing her right arm back as far as it would go. Brutus ran at her as fast as he could, figuring a head butt would be enough to bring her down. When he came close enough to her, she shouted again, "Sound Dragon's Sonic Boom!" She brought down her right fist to connect with the middle of his forehead. The pressure from the hit sent the hound flying backwards and Margo's sunglasses to go flying off her head. Brutus landed with a hard 'thunk', his eyes whitened out from unconsciousness.

Everything went quiet again. Margo stood still for a moment, still in her combat pose. Once she knew that Brutus wouldn't be getting back up, she turned to find her sunglasses. She felt them a few feet from her. She picked them up, sliding them onto her tank top to let it hang by one of the stems. She then turned back towards Slade with a serious look.

"You can take me to your Alpha now," she said in a cold tone, daring him to go back on their deal.

"No need for that," a voice said from behind Slade. A hellhound in its smaller form walked towards Margo, "I've seen and heard everything."

"Hades," Slade called out.

"Silence," the small hound demanded. Slade instantly clamped his mouth shut, "I must apologize for my pack's rudeness, but visitors, especially of the human variety, tend to make them nervous."

"And you are?" Margo asked, not having the patience to be polite anymore.

"My name is Hades. I am the Alpha of this pack."

"You're rather small for an Alpha," Margo said, not really caring if she sounded blunt or rude. She was still steaming from Zepplin being insulted. It seemed that taking it out on Brutus wasn't satisfying. Her attack should have been on Slade.

"And you're rather precise for a blind mage," he retorted, "I don't feel like towering over someone is going to solve anything. It just frightens them more. But that's what I use Slade for. He's perfect as a Beta. He's not afraid of intimidating others."

"I've noticed," Margo replied.

"Though, I do have to say that you're impressive," Hades said, "You've managed to surprise Slade. That's a feat in itself. And you stand up for your family. That's admirable. Because of this, I will talk to you. Come. Walk with me."

Margo began following the small dog, Zepplin trotting to catch up with Margo. Aero and Dante quickly followed, not wanting to be left behind. Slade followed as well after ordering someone to look over Brutus. The group walked across the black rocks to a more remote area, one where the pack was out of ear shot. Hades sat down on a pile of rocks so he could be at eye level with Margo. Slade sat next to him, watching the group of humans in front of him. Margo stood front and center with a brother on either side of her. Zepplin started off behind the group, still in his larger form.

"Zepplin, it's all right," Margo said calmly, "You can drop your guard."

Zepplin eyed the two hounds in front of him for a moment before changing into his smaller form and standing right next to Margo.

"It is good to see you again, Diesel," Hades said quietly, "I'm glad you have found a home."

"Why do you keep calling him Diesel? And why are you happy to see him if you were the ones to banish him?" Margo asked.

"Anyone would be happy to see their nephew again."

"Hades," Slade hissed.

"Silence," Hades commanded, "The girl deserves to know the truth."

"Nephew?" Margo questioned.

"Yes, he is my nephew. And Diesel is his birth name given to him by his father, Slade."

"What?!" Margo, Aero and Dante all shouted.

"That hound is his father?!" Margo continued, looking between Zepplin and Slade.

"Yes, he is," Hades answered without hesitation.

"Then that makes his insult even worse!" Margo yelled, "If he's Zepplin's father, then why would he call him trash?! That's his son!"

"Please calm down," Hades said.

"No! How dare he call his own son trash! And he let him be banished!"

"I didn't just let him be banished!" Slade yelled.

"Enough!" Hades demanded, raising his voice for the first time. Everyone went silent at his command, "Let me explain what happened. Diesel was banished by my father, who was the Alpha at the time," he began, "Diesel was the runt of his litter. He was an Omega right from the start, but he gained respect as he grew up. He became the top tracker of our pack, bringing in an abundant amount of meat for the pack. He would have become a good Beta if he had stayed on the island.

"One day a human from the village stumbled into our territory. Diesel picked up on her scent and went to go check it out. Our father had demanded that if a human entered our territory without permission that they be killed on the spot. He had an unyielding hate for the humans. When Diesel found the girl, she was crying. It had only been a small child and she had gotten lost. Diesel knew the law my father had laid down, but he also knew that it would cause trouble with the humans if he killed the child. He would also be looked down on if the pack knew he had simply killed such a small child for being lost.

"So he picked her up and took her back home. When he came back to the pack, the smell of the child was on him. There was no way to wash it off. When my father smelled him, he became enraged. He tried to attack Diesel. Slade and I stopped him, telling him it wouldn't be wise to kill one of his own in front of the whole pack. So instead of killing him, he banished Diesel from the island. We tried to reason with my father, to stop him from sending Diesel away, but he wouldn't listen. Diesel left the island that day."

Margo was silent for a moment. She kept her hand on top of Zepplin's head, feeling him shake in shame. Margo frowned, feeling sad for her dog, but then a scowl replaced the sadness, "If you knew it was wrong, why didn't you fight back? He's your son. You should have done anything for him. You should have been willing to risk everything for him! And if you care so much about him, then why were you just calling him trash?"

"I wanted to fight for him!" Slade snapped, "But my father had many followers and I didn't want to risk the lives of the rest of my family. Diesel understood this and so he left without a fight. We were lucky enough that my father fell ill and died a few years after Diesel left. We have been trying to change things since then."

"But you still called you own son trash!"

"He's not trash!" Slade barked, "But there are still some followers of my father lingering in our pack. I had to make it look like we didn't care or else we could have lost the chain of command. I've always been proud of my son."

Zepplin's head snapped up, looking up at Slade in surprise. He had never heard his father say anything like that, not even when he was living on the island. Before Zepplin could bark out to him, Margo intervened.

"I still say that you should have fought for him. If he's precious to you, then you would have taken your father head on. Your family would have stood behind you," she said lowly, sending a glare his way.

"I regret our decision," Hades interrupted, "I wish we could change things, but it is in the past. We have to move on. We are all here now at least," he continued calmly, "Besides, you would have never have met Diesel if things hadn't happened that way. Would you really want to change things and lose him?"

Margo sighed upon hearing the question, "No," she answered honestly, "He's all I had for the last five years, so no, I don't want to lose him. I just want to know that his father is willing to fight for him like I would."

"I hope Slade is able to prove that as well," Hades stated, looking over to the large hound who had a guilty look on his face, "We need to move on with our conversation for now. I would like to know why you have sought us out."

"We were sent here by the village," Aero answered when Margo stayed quiet, "It seems they've been having some trouble with a rouge pack. The hounds keep terrorizing their village. No one has been killed yet, but there have been injuries. The elder of the village is worried that someone will be killed though, and he doesn't want a war to break out," he explained, "Do you know anything about these attacks?"

Hades heaved out a heavy sigh before answering, "We have been having some territory problems with the humans from the village. We have always been able to live peacefully with them for the most part. They stick to the outer area of the island and we have kept to the inner area, but lately the village has started to expand inland. This has caused a bit of an uproar with my pack, but I haven't ordered any attacks on the village. If there are hounds attacking the village, they are acting on their own."

"Could we ask that you look into the issue?" Margo asked, "The villagers are scared that something horrible will happen. And my brothers and I will not leave the island until we know this issue has been taken care of."

"Yes, I will be on the lookout for any strange activity from the pack and I will be questioning them as well," Hades answered.

"Good," Margo said, "Thank you for your time and for all the information. It is appreciated," she bowed her head to him, "Now, we should get heading back to the village before dark."

"I will have Slade escort you to make sure you get back safely," Hades said, "Come back tomorrow and I will have more information for you."

"Thank you," Margo bowed again before turning on her heel.

The group began walking back towards the village with Slade close behind them. The entire walk with and without Slade was silent, everyone having too much to think about. They had made it back to the village and promptly went to bed without one word to the elder or his wife. Margo and her brothers didn't even say good night to each other that night. Though, Margo made sure to pull Zepplin close to her before falling asleep.

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**A/N: **There you all go! Hope you enjoyed it! I'll have the next chapter up soon!

Remember to review please!

Yours Truly,

MyDearWatson


	5. The Bonds of Brothers and Sisters

**A/N: **CHA! Another chapter up!

Sorry that I haven't updated either of my stories until now. I've just been trying to get back into the swing of things after my vacation, but things should be back to normal now!

I really enjoyed this chapter and all the fight scenes! I can't wait to do another mission arc!

I would like to thank Link and Niwen for their reviews!

Link - LOL, I can't even remember what I was going to originally do with Zepplin, but eventually he ended up as a hellhound. He has a little more to him as well, but that won't come up for a few chapters! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Niwen - Thanks! That's what I figured too. I mean, if all the other Dragon Slayers have flying, talking cats, why the hell can't Margo have a hellhound? LOL! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

I don't own Fairy Tail!

Please enjoy!

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**Chapter 5: The Bonds of Brothers and Sisters**

"Margo," a voice whispered inside the small house that the Fairy Tail group were staying in.

Margo twitched at the voice, having just gotten to sleep a couple of hours ago. She didn't open her eyes, hoping that she was just dreaming the voice. She made sure Zepplin was still next to her and snuggled back into the sheets.

"Margo," the voice called out again after a few silent minutes. This time it was louder, indicating that Margo wasn't just dreaming it.

Margo opened her eyes. Even if she couldn't see anything, it was still instinct for her to do so. She barely lifted her head off the pillow in order to position her ears to hear better. She became a little confused when she didn't feel Zepplin move with her. Normally the dog would move to see what was going on to make sure Margo was safe. She heard the voice call out to her again. She sighed heavily, not really in the mood to deal with anything at the moment. She rose from the bed slowly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and then running a hand thru her messy hair.

"Who's there?" she asked, her voice cracking from the lack of sleep.

"Shhh," the voice hushed, "Come outside."

Margo quirked an eyebrow at the command. She knew the voice was a woman's voice. She also felt that it was familiar. It was warm and gentle and it reminded her of Philomela. She knew that voice meant safety, so Margo decided to listen to it.

She touched her feet to the cool, wood floor, the coldness helping her wake up more. She reached beside her to make sure Zepplin was with her, but her hand was only met with emptiness. Margo's eyes went wide when she didn't feel the smooth fur of Zepplin next to her. He always followed her no matter what. Why wasn't he with her now? She began groping around for him frantically. Panic began to rise in her, thinking that someone had taken him.

"Zepplin!" she called out, "Where are you boy?! Aero? Dante? Where's Zepplin?!"

"It's all right Margo," the voice said softly, "Your family is safe."

"What did you do to them? Where are my brothers? And where is Zepplin?"

"Come outside," the voice ordered again.

Margo ran for the door, having slept in her clothes. She threw the door open and a bright light exploded into the house, one bright enough for even Margo to tell that it was all around her. The dark black that she saw everyday turned into a light gray. She stepped outside into the light, forgetting about her family that had seemed to disappear. The house faded away behind her, leaving her completely alone.

"Hello?" Margo called out.

"Margo," the voice said gently.

Margo knew that voice, she just couldn't put her finger on it. Suddenly a large figure was in front of her, blocking out some of the light. The massive figure stared down at her, the head of the figure dropping down to come face to face with Margo. It moved forward and gently nuzzled the side of Margo's cheek.

"Hello, little one," it said, causing Margo's eyes to go wide.

Tears began to fill up in Margo's eyes and spill over. She instantly grabbed onto the long snout touching her and wrapped her arms tightly around it, "Philomela," she sobbed, rubbing her face into the smooth scales of the dragon in front of her.

Philomela moved into a sitting position, her opalescent scales shinning in the bright light. She stretched her long, bat-like wings out, the leathery part of the wings being a pure white. Her claws were long, sharp and white, the same as her teeth; which were in a perfect line all along her mouth. Her snout was long and she had two large, white horns on the top of her head next to long pointed ears. Her body was smooth and filled with unscratched, opalescent scales. Her neck was long and her body massive and muscled. Finally, her long, whip-like tail curled up around her body and circled around Margo's feet.

"I thought I had lost you," Margo cried.

"You'll never lose me, little one," Philomela said softly, "So long as you remember me, I will always be in your heart."

"Where did you go?"

"Margo," Philomela said lowly, "I'm still gone. This is just a dream."

"No. No, it's not," Margo shook her head, refusing to believe that it was all just a dream.

"You know this is dream," the dragon said, "Or else your family would be with you and there wouldn't just be light around us."

"Then how do you know it's just a dream?"

"I can't explain that," she answered, "But I do know that I came here to tell you something important."

Margo was quiet for a moment. She gripped onto Philomela even tighter before letting go of her snout and sitting down in front of her. Margo knew that it was a dream. There was no way that Philomela would just randomly show up like this. She took a deep breath and wiped away her tears.

"What do you want to talk about?" Margo asked once she had calmed down enough.

"It's good to see that you have found a close bond with the hellhound," she began gently, "And I'm very happy to see that you have found your brothers as well as Fairy Tail," she explained before her tone was filled with sorrow, "But you keep them at bay. You won't let them in."

"How can I?" Margo asked, "I've been alone since you've been gone. Aside from Zepplin, I haven't had anyone. How I'm I supposed to just trust them?"

"It's not trust that you have a problem with," Philomela retorted, "You even told that Iron Dragon Slayer that you chose to trust him. You're afraid of losing people and so you choose not to let them in so you won't be hurt again."

Margo stayed quiet, her body beginning to shake while her hands clenched into fists.

"But little one, you have to let your family into your heart if you wish to become stronger. Right now, you have no reason to fight. If you have something worth protecting, then you will be able to overcome anything. Without family you have nothing."

"I don't know how to let them in," Margo frowned, "What am I supposed to do?"

"Love them. Let the beat of your heart guide you," Philomela stated, giving Margo one last nuzzle with her snout before standing up, "I must go now, little one."

"What?!" Margo shouted, standing up quickly, "But you just got here! Don't go! I have so many more questions."

"You'll have answers in due time," Philomela said as she started to walk away, "Be good, Margo."

"Wait! Philomela!" Margo cried, reaching out to the fading dragon's body, "PHILOMELA!"

Margo bolted up off of her bed with a scream, sweat pouring down her skin. She was breathing heavily, her hand still in an outstretched position.

"Margo!" Aero and Dante exclaimed, both men already on either side of her bed. Zepplin stood next to her on the bed, whining in concern.

"Margo, are you all right?" Dante asked, "You were starting to thrash back and forth in your sleep."

Margo's eyes began to water again, tears sliding down her face, "Philomela," she whispered.

Aero frowned at the word she spoke. He assumed that she had been dreaming about the dragon that had taken all of them in. He knew not having her around greatly affected Margo, just like it did Natsu. He hoped that the Fire Dragon Slayer would be able to understand Margo in a way that he and Dante couldn't.

Aero then did the best thing he could think of. He sat down on the bed next to Margo, pulling her into him. Margo easily leaned into her brother, her hands tightly grabbing onto his white t-shirt. She then hid her face in his shoulder, letting herself cry into it. Heavy sobs wrecked her body as Aero circled his arms around her and laid his head on top of hers. He then waved a hand at Dante and Zepplin, indicating that the two should leave for now.

Dante nodded at him, "Come on Zepplin. Let's go get some breakfast," he said, walking out of the house. Zepplin gave another concerned whine and a small lick to Margo's arm before following Dante outside.

Once Aero knew that the duo was gone, he turned his attention back to Margo, "It'll be okay," he said softly, "I'm here," he whispered, running his fingers through her hair in hopes that it would calm her down.

After a short time, Margo finally began to calm down. Her breathing became even again and her heavy sobs had turned into quiet sniffles. She still had a tight grip on Aero's shirt though. She sighed heavily into his shoulder, wiping her wet eyes on his shirt.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice hoarse from crying.

"For what?" he asked.

"For yelling at you guys yesterday. For acting like a brat and not sticking up for you both. And for getting your shirt wet," she answered, pulling at the wet spot on his shirt and earning a laugh from Aero, "It's just, I've been alone for a long time. And now I have this huge family and I don't know how to take it all in."

"Well I guess I should apologize myself," Aero stated, "I shouldn't have just expected you to open up to us in a span of one day. It's just that you're my little sister and I thought I had lost you, so I can't help but be a little overbearing."

The two stayed quiet for a moment, taking in the other's words. Aero then gave her a tight hug before letting her go.

"Let's head on out," he said, wiping away the last of her tears, "We need to check up with Hades and see if he has any information."

Margo nodded at him. Before he could get too far from her, she grabbed his wrist, "Thank you, Aero."

He smiled down at her, rubbing her hair playfully, "Come on, you troublesome dragon."

Margo gave him a flat look, "You messed my hair all up."

"What are you talking about? It's always messy," he retorted, pulling his leather jacket on, "You should let Mira and the other girls style it when we get back."

"Why? It's not like I can see it," Margo said as she pulled it up into its usual messy pony tail.

"Yeah, but I think you'd enjoy it. It would give you some time to bond with the girls," he explained, "Besides, if I have to give Gajeel a chance, then you have to give the Fairy Tail women a chance too."

"What? That wasn't part of the deal!"

"Too bad," he smirked, opening the door, "I'm your older brother and what I say goes."

"That's such a cheap way of saying you win," she huffed as she pushed him aside and walked outside first.

"Brat," he mumbled.

"Jerk," she retorted.

"Sore loser."

"Whatever."

"Looks like you're doing better," Dante smiled at the two. Zepplin ran up to Margo and jumped on his hind legs to reach her level. He then proceeded to lick her face, his little nub of a tail wagging back and forth.

Margo laughed and pushed Zepplin down, rubbing him behind both of his ears, "Yeah, I am. Sorry about that," she said. She then quickly hugged Dante tightly, "And I'm sorry about how I was acting yesterday too."

Dante stood shocked at first. He hadn't been expecting anything like that to happen. Once the shock passed, tears started to pour out of his eyes and he picked Margo up and hugged her tightly while swinging her around, "My little sister is the cutest! Elfman was right! Real men have cute sisters!"

"Can't…breathe," Margo choked out, trying to push herself away from Dante.

"Dante! You're gonna crush her to death!" Aero shouted, trying to pull Margo off of him.

"Whoops," he laughed nervously, letting go of Margo.

Margo and Aero were sent flying in the opposite direction from the pressure of their pulling. They rolled a few times before skidding to a stop. Swirls filled their eyes while they laid still on the ground. Eventually the two managed to push themselves up into a sitting position.

"And I'm supposed to get used to that?" Margo asked.

"Not really. I'm not even used to that still," Aero said, shaking his head to get rid of the dizzy feeling. He then stood up, pulling Margo up with him, "All right, time to go. We have work to do."

Margo, Zepplin and Aero began walking down the path they had used the day before, Dante following them while still going on about real men and cute sisters.

**. : + : .**

"For the last time Dante, shut up!" Margo shouted, a vein pulsing on her forehead. Aero stood beside her with his own vein on his forehead and his eye twitching. Both siblings were annoyed by the larger brother still constantly talking about real men.

"You've been spending too much time with Elfman," Aero growled.

"I think I'm gonna have to talk to that man when we get back to the guild," Margo said, "I can't handle hearing this for an hour straight."

"Real men never quit!" Dante shouted.

Margo and Aero both slumped forward at his shout. They had no idea how the man could just keep on going and going. Margo hoped that they would reach the hellhound territory soon. Luckily for her, they began to reach an area that had less plants and more rocks, indicating that they were getting close.

"Seriously Dante, shut up," Margo hissed, "We don't need the hellhounds already being annoyed when we get there."

"Real men take on hellhounds," Dante whispered.

Margo rolled her eyes, thanking whatever God had answered her prayers of shutting the man up. As the group moved farther into the rock filled area, hellhounds began to appear. The group entered the home of the hellhounds quietly, the brothers watching the dogs to make sure they wouldn't attack them. Even if they had been there the day before and befriended the alpha of the pack, they still felt uneasy around all the dogs.

"You're back," a low voice said once they were in the main part of the hellhound territory. Before them stood the overwhelming figure of Slade.

Margo gave him a flat look as if to say 'no duh', "We said we would be."

"Most people would have just left."

"We're not most people," Margo retorted, "Now, can we talk to Hades please?"

"Follow me," he ordered gruffly.

Margo didn't notice it, but Aero and Dante watched a small group of hellhounds that stared at them as they walked by. The looks the hounds were giving them were not pleasant ones. Aero made sure to memorize what each of the hounds looked like, just in case the information was needed later.

The group quickly made it back to where they had their meeting the day before. They came to a stop in front of the pile of rocks to see Hades sitting there waiting for them.

"Hello again," Hades said.

"Good morning," Margo replied, bowing to him with her brothers following suit, "Did you have any luck finding out information about the rouge group?"

"You get right to the point, don't you?" Hades asked with a chuckle.

"Well there's no point beating around the bush; especially in this situation," Margo answered.

"True enough," Hades said, "I did some questioning on the pack, but none of the hounds seem to know anything about the attacks on the villagers. Although, Brutus did find something of interest. He was doing a quick patrol this morning shortly before you arrived. He picked up on the scent of a small group of our pack going off on a different path."

"Different path?" Aero asked.

"Normally our pack uses the same paths over and over again," Hades answered, "It helps keep track of everyone better and it lets the pack know where to go to stay away from the village. But the path that this particular group took was a completely different one. Brutus followed it for a bit and found that it headed straight to the village."

"That's bad news," Margo frowned, "Were you able to figure out who those hounds are?"

"Yes," Hades sighed, "They are a bit of a rebellious group. I don't want to say they were followers of my father, but they do follow some of his ideals. And unfortunately, another one of my nephews is in this group. Diesel's brother, Maverick."

Zepplin's ears perked up at the mention of his brother, the two having been close before Diesel had been banished.

"Did you talk to them about the trail?"

"Yes, I even had Slade talk to Maverick as well, but they didn't give us any information. The most we could get out of them when we brought up their scent being on the trail was that they accidentally took a wrong turn," Hades answered, "We have been keeping a close eye on them though."

"What ideals of your father do they follow?" Margo asked.

"They greatly dislike humans," Hades stated, "I know Maverick blames them for Diesel's banishment. It would give him a reason to attack them."

"Well, it seems we can't do much at this point," Margo sighed, "We can't prove that they are the group attacking the village. You will just have to keep an eye on them for now and we will have to watch over the village."

"It seems that way," Hades said, "Be careful on your trip back to the village."

"We will be," Margo nodded at him, "Thank you for the information. We'll come back tomorrow if nothing happens today."

The group said their goodbyes and began their walk back to the village. Aero and Dante made sure to find the group of hounds that had been staring them down earlier. They found them sunbathing on a flat area of rocks. The hounds stared the men down as they walked past, a few of them growling lowly. The men sent them a glare before they disappeared out of sight.

As the group began making their way back into the vegetation covered part of the island, they began noticing things.

"It's too quiet," Margo stated, looking up into the sky, "There are no birds chirping."

"And I don't hear any other animals moving around," Aero added.

"I don't like this feeling," Dante said, clenching his hands into fists.

Margo then stopped, causing the men to stop as well. She breathed in deeply, trying to find a specific scent. Zepplin growled, taking a step closer to Margo. Everything was silent and still, indicating that something was hunting them.

Suddenly a loud roar was heard off to Margo's left side. Margo moved quickly, "Dante! Move it!" she shouted, pulling the large man backwards with her right before a giant hellhound appeared in front of them. It barked loudly at them, swiping a paw at them. Margo pushed backwards even father, falling on top of Dante. The large paw swished past the top of her head, Margo being able to feel the wind it created, "Zepplin!" she shouted.

Zepplin jumped in front of the fallen duo and transformed into his large form. He barked at the other hound, jumping forward to tackle him. This gave Margo and Dante enough time to get up and regroup with Aero. Right as the three siblings stood together, another hellhound jumped out from the trees. It rushed at them, causing the three of them to split up. Two more hellhounds quickly followed the second one, each one taking on one of the siblings.

"What are you all doing?!" Margo shouted at the beast that stood in front of her. She was a little surprised that it had been a female's voice that answered her, considering all the hounds that they had met up to that point had been male.

"You are interfering with our plans," she barked out, "We've been ordered to take you four down."

"So you're the group that's been attacking the village," Margo stated.

"Yes, but you won't live to tell a soul," the female hound growled.

"Fine," Margo said darkly, "If that's the way it's going to be, I'll fight you."

"So the little bitch thinks she can beat me?" the female sneered, earning a round of laughs from the other hellhounds, "Then prove it."

"I don't know why you hounds keep underestimating me," Margo growled, "But I'll make you regret it!" she shouted, running at the female hound in front of her, "Sound Dragon's Punch!" she yelled, aiming her powered up punch at the beast's head. The hound managed to dodge just in time, Margo's fist coming down on the ground and creating a giant crater. The hellhound then rounded on Margo, moving much quicker than Margo had anticipated. The hound swiped its paw forward, making a solid blow to Margo's right side and sending her flying backwards into a tree, "Fuck!" she growled out, holding onto her side.

"Margo!" Aero shouted, trying to run to his sister's aid.

"I don't think so, pretty boy," the hellhound in front of him sneered, "You have me to deal with right now."

"Dammit," Aero cursed, watching his sister limp forward. He then turned his attention back to the hellhound in front of him when he heard him growl, "Fine, I'll deal with you and make quick work of it too."

The hellhound snorted in laughter, not expecting much from Aero. The hound rushed at him, aiming to bite down on his shoulder. Aero quickly flipped backwards out of the way, beginning his counterattack, "Motorcycle Equip: Gunman!" he shouted, the large bike appearing in front of him. Aero jumped onto the bike and revved it to life. He aimed the machine guns at the hound and let the bullets fly. The hellhound tried to dodge the attack, but the bullets covered to wide of a range. The hound dipped its head down as the bullets ripped across its body, blood trickling

The hound growled in pain as it stood back up, "Hellfire Bomb!" the hound shouted. Its mouth opened wide, a huge ball of fire appearing in between its jaws. Once the fireball was large enough it was sent flying towards Aero.

"What the hell?!" he shouted.

"Aero!" Dante yelled, "Stone Make: Pillar!" he shouted, slamming his fist onto his other hand. A huge stone pillar rose beneath Aero's motorcycle, moving him out of the way right before the fireball would have hit him. The fireball hit the stone pillar, blasting it into pieces. Aero quickly made the Gunman disappear and he stumbled as the stone beneath him began to shake. He quickly jumped from the falling stone into a nearby tree. Once Dante knew Aero was safe, he turned back to the hellhound in front of him. He continued dodging the hound's swiping paws, hoping that this one wouldn't send a fireball at him, "Stone Make: Wall!" he shouted once he was tired of dodging. Dante readied himself for his next attack, announcing his move as he jumped over the wall, "Stone Make: Hammer!" A huge stone hammer appeared over the hellhound, Dante commanding it to come down fast and hard on the hound. Dante smirked upon hearing what he was sure was bones cracking. Though, his smirk faded quickly as he watched the hound stand back up and shake off the broken pieces of stone on its back.

"Is that all you have, human?" the hound growled out.

"What the hell?!" Dante shouted, "These things are monsters!"

"Well, they are hellhounds," Margo stated, doing her best to dodge the female hound in front of her while still holding onto her right side, "It would be surprising if they could go down in one hit," she added, running to the side of the hound. She jumped high, twisting herself to land a round house kick with an added boost from her 'Sonic Boom' on the hellhound. The dog went flying across the forest, breaking down trees along the way. It landed in a black lump, its body moving up and down rapidly from the quick breaths it had to take.

Everything went quiet after that. The entire group stared at the hellhound still lying on the ground. The hound then reverted back to its smaller form, whining in the process. A new hound made itself known at that point, the massive form walking to the fallen female hound. It sniffed at her, making sure she was okay.

"Maverick," the female mumbled out.

Zepplin tensed up upon hearing his brother's name. He turned away from his enemy to look his brother down. The huge hound looked up to see Zepplin staring at him. Maverick narrowed his eyes at him and walked to face him.

"Diesel," he said gruffly, "Why are you fighting us?"

Zepplin looked away from his brother to look at Margo, who stood to his left with her arm still holding onto her right side. Maverick followed his stare to see Margo, causing the larger hound to huff.

"You fight for a human?" he asked, "Humans are the reason you were banished from the island in the first place."

Zepplin shook his head, barking and growling at Maverick.

"The humans are bad! That's why grandfather made the laws he did," Maverick retorted, "You knew the law and you still went against it. Because of that, you had to leave! You left your family and pack behind! You left your brother behind!"

Zepplin dipped his head down, feeling guilty. It was his fault that Maverick was like this now, instead of the proud and honorable hound he had been.

"But that's the past," Maverick said lowly, "Fight with me now, Diesel. Fight against the humans."

Zepplin snapped his head up and scowled at his brother. He let out one sharp bark, the three humans even knowing that, that bark meant no.

"Fine, then you die with them!" Maverick shouted, jumping at Zepplin. He then bit down hard on his right shoulder, drawing out blood. Zepplin yelped loudly, trying his best to dislodge the larger hound from him.

Margo's head snapped up when she heard Zepplin yelp, "Zepplin!" she shouted in anger, her face in a deep scowl. She ran to where the two hounds were fighting. The hellhound that Zepplin had originally been fighting stepped in front of her to block her way, "Get the fuck out of my way!" she yelled, hitting him squarely on the jaw with a 'Sound Punch'. His teeth clacked together hard, chipping some of them in the process. The hound landed on the ground in a large heap, his eyes white from unconsciousness.

Margo jumped over to the black lump and landed on Zepplin's shoulder. She grabbed the lose skin of his neck to keep steady and turned her attention on Maverick, "I'll only say this once," she growled, "Let go of my dog."

Maverick only let out a deep growl and bit down harder in response. Margo heard Zepplin yelp again and suddenly all she could feel was anger. She breathed in deeply, her cheeks puffing out slightly, "Sound Dragon's Roar!" she shouted as she released the roar on the hound. Margo was sure it had been her loudest roar ever, considering Aero and Dante both covered their ears when it was released. Maverick tried to hold on, but he began to feel his teeth being uprooted from Zepplin's skin. He was then sent flying back, trees breaking along the way. He finally skidded to a stop, everything going quiet.

Maverick stayed on the ground for a moment, his ears ringing loudly from the attack. He then pushed himself up with the little strength he had left, "Kill them!" he ordered and suddenly more hellhounds started pouring into the battlefield.

The small group stared in shock at the amount of hellhounds coming towards them. It seemed that more than just a few hellhounds followed Maverick.

"Dammit!" Margo cursed, jumping off of Zepplin.

"Margo," Aero said as he and Dante appeared next to her, "We can't take all of them on."

"I know that," she snapped, "We need to get out into the open. I have an idea," she said, turning to Zepplin, "Zepplin, turn to your smaller size." Zepplin did as he was told, blood still trickling out of the wound from Maverick. She gently picked him up with one arm, making sure she had a solid grip on him. She then grabbed onto Dante's hand, "Hang on tightly," she said to Dante before turning to Aero, "Follow me on your Speedster." Dante and Aero did what she asked, Aero summoning his Speedster. Margo then shouted, "Sound Dragon's Speed of Sound!" and the group was off.

Margo ran through the forest as best she could was the extra weight she had with her. The hellhounds were still hot on their trail, but at least she and Aero managed to put some ground between them. Margo sighed in relief when she saw the light of the sun peeking through the end of the forest. The group busted through the trees to a large open area of sand. Margo would have thanked whatever God had been looking over them, but then she realized that they were right next to the village.

"Shit!" she cursed as she dropped Dante's hand, "We have to move quickly! I don't want the hounds attacking the village!"

"What's going on here?!" Kalani shouted, appearing in front of the group. Clio stood next to him with a worried look on her face when she saw the group in their beaten condition. The rest of the village stood behind them, staring in worry and curiosity.

"We don't have a lot of time to explain," Margo answered, "But we figured out the group of hellhounds that have been terrorizing your village."

"That's good news," Kalani said.

"Not really," Aero retorted, "They initiated a fight with us and they are following us here."

"What?!" Kalani shouted, "Why didn't you take care of them in the forest?!"

"We tried, but then they outnumbered us," Margo answered, "I have a plan though. Round up all the people of your village that can fight. Have them stand and protect the village, but none of them are to initiate a fight themselves. If they do, it will ruin my plan."

"So you just expect us to stand here and do nothing?" Kalani asked with a growl.

"Yes, I do," Margo answered sternly, "You asked us to take care of the problem, so that's what I'm doing. If you attack them yourselves, then it will just create more destruction. I don't want to see anyone die, so just listen to me!"

"Kalani," Clio said, "Please, just do what she asks."

After a moment of hesitation, Kalani let out a loud sigh, "Fine. All those that can fight, grab a weapon and stand at the edge of the village! The rest, move away from the battlefield!"

"Thank you, Clio," Margo said after running up to the woman, "Could you please take care of Zepplin. He got hurt," Margo frowned, handing the dog over to Clio. Clio gasped when she saw the large bite wound on his shoulder. She then pressed her hand to the wound to help stop the bleeding.

"I'll take care of him, so don't worry," she said.

"Thank you," Margo said, rubbing her hand across Zepplin's head, "Be a good boy. I'll be right back," she whispered to Zepplin, rubbing his head one last time before turning away from them. Margo squeezed her eyes shut, feeling like she had lost half of herself. She had never gone into a fight without Zepplin. It didn't feel right without him next to her. A loud howl interrupted her thoughts and caused her face to turn into an angry scowl again. She wouldn't let Maverick get away with hurting her family.

"Aero, Dante," she called to them, "Go to Hades and Slade. Tell them what happened. I'm sure they would like to take care of these hounds on their own."

"What about you?" Dante asked, "Will you be okay on your own?"

"I'll be fine," Margo stated, "Now, go!"

Aero and Dante stared at their sister for a moment longer before Dante jumped on the back of Aero's bike and rushing back into the forest, making sure to take a slightly different path to keep away from the rouge hounds.

Margo then moved in front of the forest, waiting for the hounds to burst through the trees. She took a deep breath to calm herself, knowing that she would need to concentrate for her counterattack on the hounds. She waited patiently, feeling the villagers lined up several yards away from her. Suddenly, she began to feel a rumbling in the Earth, indicating that the hounds were getting closer. Margo then moved into a defensive stance right before the first wave of hellhounds came barging out of the trees.

"Sound Dragon's Speed of Sound," she said lowly, keeping her concentration. She moved to round on the first wave of hounds, which included five of them. She circled them, making them move close together. She then jumped high into the air, aiming a hand at the close group, "Sound Dragon's Pressure Box," she announced. A huge box of pressure created by sound was sent down on the hounds. A clear line of magic could be seen around the dogs, almost like a heat wave in the middle of summer, to show where the box was. The hounds were instantly pushed down by the pressure, unable to move an inch. The villagers stared in awe as Margo made quick work of the second wave of hellhounds, trapping them in another Pressure Box.

A final wave of hellhounds came out of the forest, one that consisted of five hounds like the last two waves. Margo was about to trap them in the same pressure box like the last two groups, but just as she was about to send out her attack, a massive body jumped out of the forest and tackled her from midair to the ground. She landed hard on her back with the hellhound that attacked her hovering over her body. The other five hellhounds surrounded the duo.

"Release them," the hellhound, who Margo now recognized as Maverick, growled at her.

Margo had managed to stay focused enough to keep the first two groups of hounds trapped in her Pressure Boxes. She looked up at Maverick, being able to picture how big he was from the vibrations in the ground. Even with his massive size, Margo stayed defiant.

"I won't," she answered, "Not after what you did to Zepplin."

Maverick lifted his paw to bring down on her head. Before he could touch her, a paw was swiped across his face. The nails from the paw hit hard enough to create claw marks going across his face. Maverick stumbled backwards from the attack. He shook his head with blood dripping down it and looked up to see Zepplin standing protectively over Margo. His bite wound had been wrapped by Clio, but blood was staining the white cloth.

"Zepplin! What are you doing?" Margo shouted, knowing that he was still hurt.

"Move Diesel," Maverick growled, "I already wounded you once. Don't make me do it again."

Zepplin glared at his brother in anger and defiance. He growled lowly as he continued to stand over Margo. Maverick took a step towards the pair, earning another growl from Zepplin. As the two hounds continued their stare down, Margo began to feel the temperature rise around her. She knew that the island was already hot to start with, but this was a heat that seemed unnatural. She slid a hand to touch Zepplin's leg, his skin feeling like fire. She retracted her hand quickly while trying to figure out what was going on.

"I'll only tell you once more, brother," Maverick warned lowly, "Move away from the human. Nothing will coming out of protecting trash like that," he practically spat out.

At Maverick's words, something in Zepplin seemed to snap. He barked, more like roared loudly, as his body burst into flames. Zepplin's eyes glowed a bright red, his teeth shinning in pure whiteness. Giant flames licked across his skin, the black fur glowing underneath.

Margo jumped from the sudden flames around her. She did her best to keep away from the flickering fire around her, 'Zepplin, please don't burn me,' she thought.

The hounds around Zepplin stared at him in shock and wonder, a few of them backing away from him.

"Hell's Fire Skin," Maverick said in shock, "But how? I can't even use that move."

Zepplin growled fiercely in response, having little control over himself. He took a step towards the larger hound, his paws leaving scorch marks in the sand. All his mind told him was to take down the hound in front of him. He couldn't even remember what made him so angry in the first place. He just knew that the hound in front of him had dishonored him greatly and he had to pay for it.

Margo moved quickly to get out of the way of the burning paws that were stepping around her, "Zepplin," she called out when he was no longer standing over her. He ignored her voice, too focused on Maverick at the moment. Margo frowned at his reaction. He had never ignored her before, no matter the situation they were in. Something was wrong with him and she didn't like whatever it was. Though, she didn't have time to figure out what was wrong with Zepplin as the other five hounds that had been surrounding them began circling in on her now that she didn't have her protector near, "You think I can't take you on?" she snapped, moving into a defensive stance.

"Not all five at once," one of them laughed.

"Bring it," she said.

Right as the five hounds were about to pounce on her, rumbling came from the forest once again. From the trees, Hades, Slade and the rest of the pack appeared. Aero and Dante each rode on top of a hellhound. The large pack came to a halt as they saw the scene in front of them. They couldn't believe a human was able to hold down ten hounds while still having the ability to take on five other hounds. Then there was the sight of a burning Zepplin about to take on his own brother. Hades had only seen a few other hounds, himself included, that were able to use the 'Hell's Fire Skin'. It was an ability that required much magic and much more control. Hades was certain that Zepplin hadn't been able to use the move when he lived on the island. Something intense must have happened and had triggered the ability in the hound.

"Margo!" Aero and Dante shouted, jumping from their hounds and running to her side.

"Are you all right?" Aero asked.

"We came as quickly as we could," Dante added.

"I'm fine," she answered. Though, she sounded a little winded. Both brothers figured it was from using her magic to trap the hounds and keeping them down on the ground, "I could use a little help with these guys, though," she said, pointing to the hounds around her.

"There's no need for that," Hades said, still in his small form. He then looked to the five hounds surrounding them, "Stand down, now." The hellhounds continued to stand in battle ready poses, trying their best to stay defiant in front of the alpha. Hades narrowed his eyes at them, deciding that his small form with the alpha title wasn't intimidating enough. He quickly transformed into his larger form. Margo's and her brother's eyes went wide at the sheer size of the hound. It was no wonder that he opted to stay in his smaller form. The hound was a gigantic beast, standing even taller than Slade and he was broader than Brutus. His teeth were sharp and his front fangs were long. His eyes were blood red and his fur was black as night. His muscles were huge and it moved smoothly under his skin. The humans were sure that just one swipe of his paw would send even the largest hellhound across the island. There was no doubt as to why he was the alpha.

Hades looked down at the five hounds again, the small group already cowering in fear. Hades then spoke, his voice a few octaves lower, "I said stand down. Now!" he barked, the sound echoing across the battlefield. The five hounds lowered their ears in fear and moved to where the rest of the pack was standing, earning more glares as they joined them. Hades then turned to Margo, "Margo, you may lift your magic off the others. They will not do anything to you."

Margo nodded at him and released her 'Pressure Boxes' off of the other ten hounds. Once they rose, Hades barked orders at them as well. They all moved with shameful and fearful looks towards the pack. All that was left now was Zepplin and Maverick.

Margo began to move towards the duo, but Hades stopped her, "This is a fight that Diesel must deal with on his own."

"But…"

"You have faith in him, don't you?" Hades asked.

"Yes."

"Then let him do this."

Margo nodded at the huge hound again, turning her attention to Zepplin's fight.

The two hellhounds were circling each other, waiting for the perfect moment to attack. Zepplin was growling, staring his brother down with fury in his eyes. Maverick glared back, but it wasn't as fierce as the other hound's; considering there was a hidden fear in Maverick's eyes. He hadn't ever taken on someone with the 'Hell's Fire Skin' ability. How was he supposed to bring down someone who could use a magic that he himself couldn't use?

Zepplin didn't give him any more time to think about it. The fire hound began taking slow steps towards Maverick. Maverick's eyes widened in fear. He had no plan on how to take Zepplin down. With his confidence broken, he began to shake. He did the first thing that came to mind and sent a fireball at Zepplin. The fireball simply washed over him and joined the flames that encircled his body. Zepplin's steps never wavered as he continued towards Maverick.

Zepplin felt like he had played with his prey long enough and finally pounced on his brother. Zepplin was much quicker than Maverick had thought he would be. Before Maverick could dodge out of the way, Zepplin tackled him hard to the ground. The two beasts growled and barked at each other. Teeth and claws were being thrown everywhere. Maverick was doing everything he could to get away from the other hound. His body was burning wherever Zepplin touched him and he started to whine in pain. Maverick was sure he was going to pass out from the pain when he saw that they were close to the water of the ocean. Somehow he managed to lunge himself and Zepplin closer to the water. Maverick reached a paw out into the water and then swiped some up at his brother. Zepplin reared back with a roar, giving Maverick a chance to get out of his grasp.

Once Maverick was up and away from Zepplin, he looked over to see his pack and the humans watching him. His eyes narrowed on the three humans that they had been fighting earlier. It was all their fault for interfering with their plans. They would have been able to take over the village and the island if they hadn't shown up. Maverick sent an especially nasty sneer at Margo. Because of her, he had completely lost her brother. He suddenly felt a rush of anger run through him. If she could take away what was precious to him, then he would take away what was precious to her.

Maverick looked next to her to stare down her two brothers. He snarled at them and began running for them before Zepplin could pin him down again. It all happened so fast that no one was able to step in to defend the two humans. Maverick was suddenly on top of Aero and Dante. The two men weren't able to deflect his attack, but they were able to twist their bodies before they got hit. This at least kept them from being killed as Maverick's large paw came down on them. The paw slammed into them and sent them flying towards the forest. They both slammed against a large rock that sat at the forest's edge and both slid down onto the ground in a slump.

"Aero! Dante!" Margo screamed, running to her brothers. She knelt down in front of them, reaching out to touch their chests. She placed a hand on each one to feel for heartbeats. She let out a breath when she felt them, but that didn't stop her from worrying, "Aero. Dante," she called out again, frowning when they didn't answer, "Please, answer me," she said quietly, her hands still on their chests, "Come on. Call me a brat. Tell me how real men cry over their little sisters. Anything," she whispered, her hands beginning to shake.

Suddenly she felt a hand over each of hers. Her head snapped up, tears trickling down her face. Both brothers smirked through the pain, "We're Fairy Tail mages," they both said, "It will take more than one hit to bring us down."

Margo smiled softly at them before standing up. She quickly wiped her tears away and turned to look at Maverick. A deep and angry scowl now covered her face. She clenched her hands tightly into fists and she clenched her teeth as well. She began walking towards the hellhound she was staring down. Hades didn't bother stopping her this time. Maverick had assaulted her brothers and he wouldn't be the one to stop her from taking her anger out on the hound.

"Is the little human scared?" Maverick mocked.

"You've attacked these villagers," Margo began lowly, completely ignoring his comment, "You've taken away the safety of innocent people. And for what?"

"They…"

"SHUT UP!" she shouted, "You also attacked your own brother. You wounded him. He's also my family and I won't forgive you for that! Wounding him is like wounding me!"

"I…"

"I said SHUT UP!" she shouted again, "Now you've attacked my brothers. I will never forgive you for that! You've hurt something that I love and you will pay for that. You wanted to make me angry, well now you've fucking got it!"

Aero and Dante stared wide eyed at their sister. They hadn't expected her to make a speech like that. They both smiled, knowing that they had somehow made it back into her heart. She would definitely make a great Fairy Tail mage.

"What is a piece of trash like you going…"

"Sound Dragon's Sonic Boom!" she shouted, jumping up and kicking him across the face with the added 'Sonic Boom'. Maverick when flying across the beach. He landed back in front of Zepplin, who had recovered from the water. Zepplin wasted no time in attacking him this time and sunk his teeth into Maverick's left hind leg. Maverick yelped in pain, trying to wriggle free from Zepplin, but he held him place, patiently waiting for Margo to make her next attack. Margo ran towards the two hellhounds, jumping high into the air when she was close enough. She breathed in deeply, "Sound Dragon's Roar!" she screamed as she let loose her attack. Zepplin waited for the last possible moment to move in order to make sure that Maverick wouldn't be able to get away. Finally, Zepplin let go of Maverick and quickly moved away from him. Margo's roar then hit Maverick, the hit sending him to the ground. The power if the attack kept him grounded and even created a crater underneath him.

Margo's roar finally ended. She landed easily on the ground with her guard up still as she faced Maverick. The hellhound was still lying in the crater that her attack had created. He tried to lift himself up, but as soon as he did his body just fell back to the ground. Zepplin then approached the fallen hound, still in his fire form. He lifted a paw to smack his brother, but Margo intervened, "No Zepplin," she ordered firmly, causing Zepplin to freeze, "It's enough. There's no reason to hurt him anymore."

Zepplin growled, but lowered his paw. His fire disappeared once his paw hit the ground. He then turned back to his smaller size and dropped to the ground. Margo walked over to him and picked him up gently, "Good boy," she whispered as she turned to walk away from Maverick.

"Margo!" Aero and Dante suddenly shouted.

Margo turned around to feel fire coming at her. Before the fireball that Maverick had sent towards her could hit her, it was blocked. Slade was suddenly in front of her, taking the hit of the fireball. Both Margo and Zepplin stared at the large hound in surprise.

"Enough, Maverick," Slade barked out, "You've lost. You're only shaming yourself more by pulling cowardly stunts like that. Your brother is a better hound than you."

Zepplin stared at his father in complete surprise, not expecting him to ever say anything like that. Maverick had always been the better hound, so it meant something for his father to make an announcement like that.

"Thank you," Margo said, for both saving them and for acknowledging Zepplin. Slade only nodded in response to her. He gave Zepplin a look filled with pride before turning back to Maverick.

"Thank you for helping our pack," Hades, still in his large form, said as she passed him.

Margo bowed to him before moving to her brothers. She smiled at them, "Let's get some sleep so we can go home…to Fairy Tail."

"Sure," the said, both smiling back and following her to the village.

**. : + : .**

By early afternoon the next day, the small group was ready to go home. They had gotten cleaned up, eaten and slept the previous night. They woke up early to talk to both Hades and Kalani to work things out between the pack and the villagers. Hades apologized for the way some of his pack had been acting. He promised he would never let it happen again and that he personally would protect the village. Once Kalani believed him, he promised that the villagers would only stick to the outer area of the island. He hadn't even known that some of his villagers were going farther into the island. He promised that he would personally see to that.

Everything had been taken care of. Maverick was under lockdown back at the pack's home and Margo was paid the promised amount of jewels. They had said their goodbyes to the villagers and the group was now saying goodbye to Hades and Slade.

"Thank you again for helping us," Hades said, now in his smaller form.

"No problem," Margo grinned, "You've helped me a lot too. And Zepplin as well. I think he got a lot of closer," she smiled down of the hound next to her, "Though I do have to wonder," she said, her tone saddening. She bent down to Zepplin's level, "Would you like to stay with your family, Zepplin?" she asked, earning a confused look from Zepplin, "After everything that's happened, you should have the choice of staying. You're no longer banished and you've been away from them for so long."

Zepplin stared at her for a moment before he talked in little growls and mewls. This caused Hades and Slade to chuckle a little.

"What did he say?" Margo asked.

"He said, 'But Margo is family. Margo is home'," Hades answered softly.

Margo began to tear up then, hugging Zepplin tightly, "You're the best dog ever," she sniffed.

"Take care of each other," Slade said once Margo was standing again.

"We will," Margo answered.

"And come back to visit some time," Hades said.

"Definitely," Margo said.

"Have a safe journey home," Hades said, "And make sure you practice that 'Hell's Fire Skin' magic."

"We will," the whole group said before turning to leave, "Bye!"

The group was quiet for a little while as they walked the outer edge of the island to get back to the docking area on the other side of it. Margo was the one to break the silence since something that Mirajane had said before they left was nagging at her mind.

"Hey guys," she called out to her brothers who were walking just behind her.

"Yeah?" they answered.

"I want to know something," she said, "Something that Mirajane told me before we left."

"What is it?" Aero asked.

"She said that I should ask you guys about your necklace and left arm," she answered, "What's so important about those things?" The two men went quiet, stopping their walk. Margo stopped as well when she didn't feel them moving. She turned back to them and walked up to them. She waited for either one of them to answer her, but all she received was their continued silence, "Well? Are you going to answer me?"

"We both had a request made of Reedus, one of the mages at Fairy Tail," Dante answered, "He's a very good artist and he can draw anything. We asked if he could draw us something if we gave him the details."

"What did you ask him to draw?" she asked when Dante didn't continue.

"We asked him to draw you," Aero answered, watching Margo's face turn into a look of surprise, "Since we thought you were dead, we wanted something to remind us of you. We gave Reedus the details of what you looked like and he was able to draw you. It looked exactly like you. So Dante had Reedus draw one small enough to fit in a necklace," he explained, Dante grabbing onto the necklace tightly, "And I had the picture tattooed on my left forearm," he said, pulling his leather jacket off and extending his arm out to Margo. She gently touched his arm and soon she found the light scarring marks of the tattoo, "It's what we remember you looking like when you were four."

Margo felt tears coming again for the second time that day. She then moved to hug Aero tightly, catching the man off guard. He managed to keep them standing though and hugged her back. Dante then hugged them both while crying and saying, "Real men don't cry, but it's okay for these kinds of situations!"

This caused the other two to laugh. Once they separated, Aero put his leather jacket back on and slung an arm over Margo's shoulders, "We're glad to have you with us now."

"I'm glad to be here, even if you're both troublesome."

"You better watch calling me troublesome," Aero retorted, "Or else I won't hold your hair back while you blow chunks on the boat again."

"Oh God," Margo moaned, already becoming nauseas just thinking about riding the boat again, "It's bad enough that I hate the water," she groaned, "Now I have to travel across it too. Can't you guys just knock me out or something?"

"I can't hit my baby sister!" Dante cried.

"Yeah, me neither," Aero smirked.

"That's just mean," Margo huffed, "Prepare yourselves for a long ride then."

"Anything for you," Aero grinned.

"Then knock me out!"

"Anything but that."

"Jerk."

"Brat."

They continued arguing the rest of the way to the docks, feeling the happiest they had ever felt while doing so.

* * *

**A/N: **Well, there you go! Hope you all enjoyed the chapter! I'll have the next one up soon!

Remember to review please!

Yours Truly,

MyDearWatson


	6. Sweets and Greets

**A/N: **CHA! Another chapter!

I really enjoyed this one since there were a lot of fun scenes in it!

I would like to thank Link, Niwen, Kasai no Oni and emo steve for their reviews!

Link - I'm glad to hear that the family scenes are turning out so well. And about Zepplin...so I thought I was going to do more with him, but I may not. The more I thought about what I was going to do with him, the more I thought that it was a bit much. But I'll see how things go with him. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Niwen - Thank you! ^.^ Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Kasai no Oni - Yeah, I tried to make her brothers a little weird and funny, so it's good to hear that they are turning out well. LOL! I like that you can picture the hellhounds as big and fluffy! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

emo steve - That's awesome that you love Margo! I love her a lot too (although I am a bit biased) but I still think she's one of the best characters I've come up with over the years of my writing. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

I don't own Fairy Tail!

Please enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 6: Sweets and Greets**

The small team was currently making their way back to Fairy Tail. Dante was carrying Margo on his shoulders, the poor girl not having the strength to walk quite yet. She sat slumped over on him, her arms sticking out over his shoulders and her head lying on his left shoulder. She groaned from the nauseous feeling that was still swishing around in her stomach.

"Oh man," Aero chuckled, "You really can't travel on moving vehicles."

Margo let the comment go for now, not having the energy to say something snarky back or even swat her hand at him. Dante was nice enough to do it for her though. He kicked Aero square in the butt, sending the older man down into the ground.

"What the hell was that for?" Aero grumbled after picking himself up.

"For making fun of her when she's sick," Dante answered as he continued walking past his brother and towards the guild.

"Thanks Dante," Margo grinned, nuzzling her head on his shoulder.

"My sister is the cutest!" Dante cried.

Aero grumbled to himself as his followed the other two. Zepplin trotted next to Dante, looking up every now and then to keep an eye on Margo. The group continued walking towards the guild, slowly making their way through the town. Margo began to feel better as they moved forward. Soon enough, a smell hit her nose that had her lifting her head from Dante's shoulder. She sniffed the air a little more, causing the men to quirk an eyebrow at her.

"What is it?" Dante asked.

"Can we make a pit stop first before we go to the guild," Margo asked with a smile, laying her chin on top of Dante's head.

"Sure," Dante answered with his own grin, "Where do you want to go?"

"Can't it wait till later?" Aero asked, "I want to get back to the guild."

"Don't be such a stick in the mud," Margo retorted, pulling her eyelid down and sticking her tongue out at him.

"I'm not!"

"Then prove it," Margo said, "Dante, make a left up here!"

"Yes ma'am," Dante smiled, taking off in a sprint with Zepplin following them.

Aero sighed heavily before following the trio.

Margo instructed Dante to make a few more turns, passing the fountain in the middle of the town and following the familiar path to a specific bakery. She ordered him to stop just outside of Nick's bakery, her mouth already watering from all the smells.

She jumped down from Dante's back, feeling much better with prospect of sweets in the near future. She ran to the door, finding that it was already open. Before she could pop inside the bakery, Aero's annoyance stopped her.

"Seriously? You stopped for a bakery?"

"Yes," she answered with a flat look, "And it's not just any bakery. It's Nick's bakery and he has the best one in town! And I'm starved!"

With that, Margo entered the small bakery. Another wave of wonderful smells hit her nose. She almost pressed her face against the glass case again, but managed to stop herself upon remembering her promise to Nick. She walked around the small front area, sniffing out what she wanted. Dante and Zepplin quickly joined her, both enjoying anything sweet. Aero was the last to enter the bakery, not at all excited by the pit stop.

"Hello? Nick? Are you here?" Margo called out.

A loud thump came from the back room, quickly followed by a few curses. A man covered in flour came out of the back room with an annoyed look, one to easily match Aero's. Once the man saw Margo, his annoyance disappeared and was replaced with a small smile.

"I was beginning to wonder when you were coming back," Nick greeted.

"I told you I would," Margo smiled widely, "I had to go on my first mission though."

"Yeah? How'd that go?"

"It was successful," she answered, part of her side tracked still by the baked goods around her, "A lot came out of it."

"Like jewels?" he asked with a laugh.

"And other things," she said, looking down at Zepplin before glancing back at her brothers, "Good things."

"Glad to hear," he responded, "And you had to make a pit stop here then?"

"Of course," she said, "I could smell your baking pretty far from here. You should keep your door open more often."

"I thought it would be a good idea. I'm glad to hear it worked out so well," he smiled, "That nose of yours is pretty keen."

"Well, it kinda has to be."

"I would suppose so."

Before the conversation could go any farther, Margo was suddenly pulled back away from Nick. Her brothers were standing in front of her, glaring Nick down in the most terrifying way possible. The two men towered over him, but Nick didn't flinch at their actions.

"May I help you?" he asked, his annoyed look reappearing.

The two men continued to stare Nick down for a moment before Aero finally spoke.

"What are your intentions with our sister?"

"Excuse me?" Nick asked.

"WHAT?!" Margo shouted, pulling both men away from the front counter that they were leaning over, "What do you two IDIOTS think you're doing?"

"Well it's obvious that you two like each other," Aero huffed, "What with the way you both talk to each other."

Margo smacked both men upside the head, silently hoping that it would knock some sense into them, "I don't like Nick, not like that anyway. And even if I did, it would be none of your business!"

"But you're our baby sister," Dante pouted, "We have to protect you from men."

Margo rolled her eyes, turning back to Nick and ignoring her brothers for the moment, "I'm sorry for this Nick."

"It's all right. Are they really your brothers?"

"Yeah," she sighed, "This is Aero and Dante," she said, pointing to each one respectively, "Aero and Dante, this is my_ friend_, Nick. He owns the bakery and he makes everything in here."

The men all nodded silently to each other, all of them still a bit on edge.

"Anyways," Margo said, wanting to get onto a different subject, "Do you have any of your peach muffins?"

"Of course," Nick answered, a smile coming back to his face.

"Great! I'll take four of them," she grinned, "And four cherry tarts as well."

"Will do," Nick said, "Anything for you two?" he asked, looking at the two men.

Dante quickly forgot about the man being a possible boyfriend for his little sister at the mention of food. He smiled widely before ordering, "I'll take one of everything!"

Margo and Nick stared at him in shock, Aero seeming unfazed by the large order. He had grown up with Dante and knew how large his appetite could be.

"Forget about the earlier discretion, your brother is allowed here any time he wants," Nick whispered to Margo, said girl merely nodding at him, "What about you?" he asked, looking at Aero.

"I don't like sweets," he answered.

"You're getting something whether you like it or not," Margo hissed.

"Why do I have to? It's not like I'm gonna eat it," he snapped.

"Because you were rude to him," she retorted, "And I'll eat it anyways."

"Then you order it!"

"It means nothing coming from me!"

"Can't I just apologize to him like a normal person?"

"You're not normal, so no."

"Brat!"

"Jerk!"

"Are they like this all the time?" Nick whispered to Dante.

"Always," he grinned, "I think it's because they're more alike than they care to admit."

"Seems that way," Nick responded, turning back to the argument.

"Just do it!" Margo yelled, stomping down on Aero's foot.

He yelped in pain, "Fine! I'll buy something, dammit!"

"That's better," Margo huffed, lifting her foot from his.

Aero looked around the shop for a moment, trying to find something at least half way appetizing to him. His eyes finally stopped on a mound of fresh baked, chocolate chip cookies, "I'll take one of those," he pointed to the cookies.

Nick nodded at him before turning away to gather up all the orders. It took him some time when it came to Dante's order, but he managed to get everything boxed up neatly. He handed Margo a single, white box that contained both her muffins and Zepplin's tarts. He tossed Aero a small, brown bag that held the cookie. He then stacked up twenty boxes for Dante, which included several cakes, cookies, doughnuts, tarts, a plethora of muffin flavors, brownies and a few other baked goods. The group handed him the amount owed for everything before saying their good-byes and exiting the bakery. Before Aero walked out, he looked back at Nick. He pointed two fingers to his eyes and then pointed the same fingers at Nick; silently telling Nick that he was watching him. Nick gave him the bird in reply, causing Aero's eye to twitch.

Once outside, Aero saw both Margo and Dante already digging into their sweet treats. Margo pulled out two tarts for Zepplin and a muffin for herself. Dante had set down all his boxes and was rummaging through one that was filled doughnuts. White smudges were all across his face from the powder doughnuts he started off with.

"Let's go you two," Aero announced, turning towards the direction of the guild, "And you're carrying all those boxes on your own Dante."

"Yeah, yeah. I know," Dante answered, pulling out three more doughnuts before shutting the box and setting on top of the others. He then lifted his large stack up with ease with one hand while popping a glazed doughnut in his mouth, "These are the best doughnuts ever!" he stated after finishing his snack.

"I told you!" Margo said before taking a bite of her muffin and throwing Zepplin one of his tarts.

"Even your dog eats sweets?" Aero asked with a disgusted look.

"Of course!" Margo grinned, "Why wouldn't he? It wouldn't be fair of me to eat them and not give him any."

"I'm surprised he hasn't gotten sick from any of it," Aero mentioned.

"Hey! I make sure not to give him any chocolate," she retorted, "Besides, you're just mad because you can't enjoy sweets like the rest of us. Maybe you should have paced yourself when we were little."

"It's not my fault Philomela gave me all that candy!"

"And we didn't even get a single piece," both Dante and Margo frowned.

"That's because you would have eaten it all!"

"Yeah, well at least I can still eat them," Margo said, "You should at least try the cookie. You might be surprised."

"Psh, yeah right," Aero huffed, looking down at his brown bag. He sighed, deciding to at least try a piece or else Margo wouldn't leave him alone about it. He pulled the rather large chocolate chip cookie out of the bag and stared at it for a moment. He then sniffed it before taking a bite out of it. Dante and Margo looked back at him, waiting with baited breath for his reaction to the sweet. He finally finished his bite and frowned, "Dammit," he mumbled before taking another bite.

"CHA! I win!" Margo shouted in victory, a wide smile spreading across her face.

Aero simply looked in the other direction while eating his cookie in silence.

"I bet you'll like other kinds of cookies too," Margo said, still smiling, "I bet if you ask nice enough, Dante would share some of his with you."

"I'm only eating this one!" Aero shouted.

"You'll be back for more," Margo smirked.

"Says you!"

"I do say so."

"Whatever," he huffed, giving up the argument for now.

Margo hummed happily as they continued their way to Fairy Tail, glad to have won something against her brother. Just as Margo was reaching for a second muffin, they came to the door leading into the guild. They could hear loud shouts coming from the other side of the door.

"Is that all this guild does? Wrestle each other?" Margo asked, shutting the lid to her box after grabbing the second muffin.

"More or less," Aero answered.

"But it's fun," Dante smiled, eating the last of the three doughnuts he had pulled out from earlier.

"If you say so," Margo shrugged, pushing open the doors of the guild.

Upon opening the doors, it revealed a fully packed guild. People were laughing and drinking while others were fighting and wrestling with each other. At the back of the guild was a large stage with Mirajane strumming on a guitar and a floating microphone in front of her. She was singing a beautiful ballad, though Margo had to think it would be more beautiful if the place was quiet. In the middle of the place was where most of the fighting was being done. Aero and Dante noticed that four more people were there than there had been when they left.

"This should be interesting," Aero chuckled, taking a step away from Margo.

"Only if he notices us though," Dante added, taking his own step away from Margo.

"What are you two talking about?" Margo asked in between bites of her muffin. Zepplin looked back and forth between the two men, but stayed close to Margo. He had a feeling he would need to be close to her.

"You'll see," Dante grinned.

"3, 2, 1," Aero counted down right before a loud voice shouted at them.

"Oi! Aero! Dante! Where have you been?!" a young man yelled at them, his rose hair peeking out of the top of the fighting group. That was when his black eyes made contact with Margo, "Oi! Who are you?!" he shouted at her. He jumped out of the still fighting group towards Margo. He landed a few feet from her and suddenly rushed up to her.

His speed and loud voice caused Zepplin to react more violently than he normally would; plus he was still slightly on edge from their mission. As soon as the pink haired man approach Margo, Zepplin transformed into his larger form. He practically roared at the man, sending him flying a few feet back. He put a paw in front of Margo, bearing large fangs at the man.

"Holy shit!" the man yelled while everyone else stared at the large hound with dropped jaws, "What is that?"

"He's a hellhound," Margo answered with a smile. She then turned to Zepplin, patting his leg, "You're such a good boy, aren't you Zepplin," she grinned at the hound. He dipped his head down and she nuzzled his face. Everyone sweat dropped at her action, considering her size compared to the hounds, "But I don't think he meant any harm, so you can change back."

"Mar-chan!" Levy called out once Zepplin was back to his normal size. She ran past the pink haired man and latched onto Margo in a hug, "You're back! How did the mission go? And you never mentioned that Zepplin could change his form!"

Margo grinned at her, "He is pretty impressive, right?" she stated, showing her pride in Zepplin, "But there wasn't any need for him to change form before. He's still a little on edge from the mission, so I would watch it around him for the rest of the day. And the mission was a success, no matter how annoying the company was," she answered with a smirk.

"Hey, you brat!" Aero shouted, pushing his face into Margo's.

"Nobody asked you!" Margo shouted back, pushing away the older man, "Jerk!"

"Brat!"

"Jerk!"

"Brat!"

"Jerk!"

The two were just about to start a wrestling match of their own when Margo was suddenly yanked away from him. She now stood facing the pink haired man, who stared at her with wide eyes.

"What?!" she snapped at him, bearing her fang-like teeth at him.

"You're a Dragon Slayer!" he exclaimed as he started shaking her back and forth, "No way! Another Dragon Slayer! Where's your dragon?! What type of magic did they teach you?! We should fight! Right now!"

"Natsu!" a young, blonde woman shouted, pulling the pink haired man off of Margo, "Let her go! You're going to shake the poor thing to death!"

The man, now known as Natsu, stopped shaking Margo. Somewhere in the process, Margo lost her sunglasses and now stared back at Natsu with dull yet annoyed eyes.

"What's with your eyes?" he asked, cocking his head to the side.

"I'm blind, you idiot," she stated flatly.

"What?! Then how do you even fight?!"

"Mar-chan is a great fighter!" Levy stated, "She even took on Aero!"

"Really? That's pretty impressive," another unknown, young man stated, suddenly appearing beside Natsu.

"How about we make some proper introductions," the last unknown mage, a young woman, stated, making her way into the growing crowd around Margo, "Natsu! Let her go," she commanded. Natsu instantly let Margo go at the stern voice. Margo then quickly found her sunglasses on the floor behind her. She put them on and pushed them to the top of her head to keep her bangs out of her face for the moment. The second woman then approached her and stared her down for a moment. Margo kept her relaxed demeanor, folding her arms in front of her chest. Everyone else stared at the duo in slight fear. No one had ever stood up against the woman so easily. After a moment longer, the woman smirked and spoke, "I like her," she announced, earning several relieved sighs from the crowd, "I'm Erza Scarlet. I'm glad to have you as part of Fairy Tail," she said, sticking her hand out towards Margo.

Margo felt the vibrations of Erza's movement and stuck her own hand out to shake Erza's. They both smirked upon feeling the solid grip from one another, "I think I like you too," Margo stated, "And the name's Margo Lennox."

Erza, Natsu and the other young man stared at her with wide eyes. The blonde woman simply stared in confusion, wondering why the name was so surprising to the others. Erza then looked between Margo and her brothers, not believing what she was seeing.

"Are you really Margo Lennox?" Erza asked.

"In the flesh," she answered with a grin.

"That's incredible," Erza continued, "It was believed that you were dead. So you're really Aero and Dante's sister?"

"Yep," Margo answered, "It was a shock for all parties involved. I thought they were dead too."

"Well, I'm even happier to have you in Fairy Tail then," Erza smiled, "Your brothers are good men."

"I've noticed that over the last few days," she said softly. Mirajane picked up on the softness of her voice, smiling to herself. It looked the mission was a success in more ways than one. She knew that it was the perfect way for them all to bond. Hopefully they would become as close as Elfman and herself.

"Stop hogging up all of the newbie's time!" Natsu shouted, earning a glare from Erza, "Please," he added in a small voice.

"Very well," Erza sighed, "Make your introductions.

"I'm next then!" Natsu announced.

"The hell you are!" the other man shouted, pushing Natsu out of the way.

"What the hell, you stupid icicle!"

"What was that, flame head?!"

"Well while they figure out who gets to go next, I'll make my introduction," the blonde woman smiled, "My name is Lucy Heartfilia. I'm fairly new to the guild myself, so I hope we can learn things together."

Margo smiled back at her, finding her voice very kind and honest. She was sure that she would get along fine with the woman.

"Enough you two!" Erza shouted, annoyed at not being able to fully enjoy the strawberry cake that Mirajane had brought her.

"Yes ma'am."

"Aye."

The unknown man approached her first, coming out of his fear of Erza first, "My name is Gray Fullbuster."

"And I'm Natsu Dragneel!" Natsu shouted, throwing Gray out of the way, "And I'm a Dragon Slayer too! A fire one!"

"And a loud one too," Margo stated bluntly, causing Natsu's smile to fall and the others in the guild to laugh.

Natsu huffed and ignored her comment as he continued speaking, "So what type of Dragon Slayer are you? And what about your dragon teacher? I hope it's better than the metal freak!"

"Hey!" Gajeel shouted, his eye twitching in irritation.

"I'm a Sound Dragon Slayer," Margo answered before a fight could start between the two men, "My dragon's name was Philomela. I was with her up until X777, but then she disappeared."

"Just like Igneel," Natsu pouted, "Anyways," he said, shaking off his sadness, "We should fight!"

"What?" Margo asked, "I just got back from a mission and I already had to fight a dragon slayer before that."

"You fought the iron weirdo?" Natsu asked with a smirk, "I hope you beat him at least."

Gajeel was suddenly next to Natsu with a scowl on his face. He then stomped down hard on his foot, causing Natsu to let out a loud yelp of pain.

"What the hell is your problem?!" Natsu shouted, flames erupting from his body.

"Gi Hee," Gajeel laughed, "Serves you right."

Natsu moved to punch Gajeel, but the iron dragon slayer beat him to it. He hit Natsu in the shoulder, sending him flying back into Margo. The box that she was holding went flying out of her grasp. Luckily it was caught by Dante and he sat it with all his baked goods. Margo was sent backwards from the force of the hit, her back smacking into a bare chest. Margo would have retaliated on Natsu and Gajeel, but her hand hitting a bare thigh stopped her.

"What the hell?!" she shouted, jumping away from Gray, "Why the hell are you naked?"

"Dammit," Gray cursed, randomly pulling out a pair of boxers and pulled them on.

"Don't touch our sister!" Aero and Dante shouted. They tackled the ice mage to the ground, causing the table he was next to, to flip over. This also caused the cake that Erza had been eating to fall to the ground. She stared at the ruined cake with little tears in her eyes.

"Real men shouldn't fight in front of women like this!" Elfman shouted.

"Shut the fuck up!" Erza suddenly shouted, kicking Elfman in the face.

"Look what you started!" Margo shouted, turning back to Natsu and Gajeel.

"We didn't start anything!" they both yelled back at her.

"Like hell you didn't!" Margo shouted, "You made me touch a naked man!" she added, jumping on top of Natsu.

"What are you doing?!"

"You said you wanted a fight, didn't you?" Margo growled, "Well, now you have one!" she shouted, throwing a punch at Natsu, "You too!" she yelled, pulling Gajeel into the fight.

"Oi! I didn't even touch you!" Gajeel shouted, managing to dodge a kick from her.

"Doesn't matter!"

Soon everyone was wrestling with each other. Mirajane changed the music to a rock song to match everyone's moods, laughing at the scene before her.

"Couldn't you all just wait one day?! Just one full day without any fighting?! This place was just rebuilt!" Makarov cried out, no one paying any attention to him in the process, "All right you brats! That's enough!" he shouted, changing into his larger form and bringing a large fist down.

Everyone broke up their fights, smiling and laughing while doing so. Margo blew some bangs out of her face, moving around to try to find her sunglasses again.

"Looking for these?" Gajeel asked, holding up her sunglasses.

"Yes!" she grinned, "Thanks!"

"Who said I was giving them back to you?" he smirked, "I think they look pretty good on me. Gi Hee," he laughed, sliding the glasses over his eyes.

"Give them back!" she growled.

"What are you gonna give me in return?"

Margo scowled at him for a moment before an idea popped into her head. She gave him a sly smile before running over to Dante's stack of boxes. Everyone watched the scene carefully, surprised that Margo was conversing with Gajeel. Margo sniffed at the boxes, searching for hers. She finally grabbed a box on the top of the stack and ran back over to Gajeel. She quickly popped the lid open and pulled out a muffin.

"Here," she huffed while holding out the muffin to him.

The whole guild stared in surprise at Margo's action, considering most of the people feared or felt anger towards the Iron Dragon Slayer. Jet and Droy eyed Margo for a moment before turning to Levy.

"Levy," they both whispered, catching the young woman's attention.

"Hmm?" she answered with.

"You shouldn't be hanging around her anymore," Jet said.

"Yeah, she's actually being nice to that guy," Droy added.

Levy frowned at the two men, "Shame on you two," she began, catching them off guard, "Mar-chan hasn't done anything wrong and I like her. You'll just have to deal with it," she stated while crossing her arms and looking away from the two men.

Both Jet's and Droy's jaws dropped while tears started pouring out of their eyes. Levy rarely ever acted harshly towards them; and for her to do it over someone she had only known for a little over a week surprised them even more.

Gajeel stared down at the muffin, quirking his eyebrow at it. He could smell that it was the same flavor as the last one that Margo had shoved into his face. He was still much too proud to let her know that he actually liked the muffin, so he snorted in disgust instead, "I don't want it. You'll have to find something better."

A vein popped out of Margo's head in irritation. She knew Gajeel was lying. She knew that he liked the muffin. After all, he never denied it after eating the one from last time, "Just take it," she said through clenched teeth, trying her best to stay calm.

"I don't want your stupid muffin," he growled out.

"Just take the muffin, metal brain!" Natsu shouted.

"Natsu," Margo hissed, "I've got this," she said, stopping a fight she was sure that would happen between the two men. She then turned her attention back to Gajeel, "Look, just take the damn muffin and give me back my sunglasses."

"No," he retorted, "I don't like peach muffins."

"Bull shit," she grumbled. She didn't understand how this man could get under her skin like he did. She never had any trouble with someone before like she did with him. She already had a short enough temper, but this man seemed to know which buttons to press to really piss her off. It was annoying, and yet, somewhere deep down – deep, DEEP down – it was also entertaining. Most men just turned passive against her blunt and tomboyish attitude, but Gajeel fought back; and Margo found that exciting; not that she would EVER tell him that, "I know for a fact that you like them, so just take it already."

"I already told you no," he growled, "Now, get it the fuck out of my face."

"You're such a bad liar!" Margo shouted, throwing the muffin at Gajeel. It beamed him right in the forehead and the gooeyness from the sugar and peaches caused it to stick to his forehead. Most of the people in the guild laughed at the scene while Gajeel's eyes went wide in shock. Margo then stomped right up to him and yanked the sunglasses off of his face, "That should teach you to take my stuff again," she stated while sliding the sunglasses onto her own face.

Gajeel continued to stare at her in shock, surprised that anyone would so easily walk right up to him and take something away from him. The young woman was definitely an enigma to him. Whenever he expected her to act a certain way, she would always do the opposite. He couldn't predict her actions and that always managed to catch him off guard. He smirked inwardly, thinking that he could definitely have some fun with Margo.

The muffin finally peeled off of his forehead and dropped down. Margo caught the sweet bread and handed it to him, "Don't let it go to waste."

Gajeel stared at the muffin once again before huffing out a, "Fine," and then swiping it out of her hands. He moved to sit down at an open table, sitting with his legs on either side of the bench and his back to the crowd. He then started munching on the muffin, not wanting the others to see how much he liked it. Margo smirked and sat down next to Gajeel, propping her legs up on the bench across from her. She leaned back against the table top behind her and pulled out the last muffin. She sat in content silence while eating the treat, a smug smirk still playing at her lips.

"Margooooooooo," Natsu whine, breaking the tension in the guild. He got right into her face and continued speaking, "Don't you have any food for me?"

"Why would I have any food for you?" she asked, shoving him out of her face.

"Well the metal brain over there got something," he pouted.

"I don't have anything for you," she hissed, not wanting to start another fight between the two male Dragon Slayers.

"It's not fair!"

"Then take it up with Dante," she retorted, her eye twitching in irritation. She just wanted to be left alone already, "He practically bought the whole store."

Everyone's eyes then turned to the large stack of boxes that sat by the front door. Dante suddenly jumped in front of them, fire burning in his eyes, "No one touches my food!"

"Get him!" Natsu yelled while running towards the large man. The rest of the guild followed Natsu, wanting some of the baked goods for themselves. This successfully started another wrestling match between the guild members.

"Every day! Every damn day," Makarov cried while taking a swig of his drink.

"But Master," Mirajane smiled, "It's so lively. It really suits the place, don't you think?"

"I suppose," he grumbled, continuing his drinking.

"Well I think it's a wonderful sound," Mirajane stated, "Whether it be the wrestling and shouting," she said, looking over at the large group by the front door, "Or friends talking," she continued, looking over at Lucy, Juvia and Aero talking to one another, "Or content silence," she finished, looking over at Margo and Gajeel, "All of it is home."

Makarov was quiet for a moment, looking up at Mirajane who wore a warm smile, "So young and yet so smart, Mirajane."

"I learn from the best," she winked at him.

Before Makarov could say anything else, a cake flew through the air and smacked him in the face. He sat there frozen for a moment before wiping away chocolate frosting, "BRATS!" he shouted, growing into his larger size and running towards the wrestling group. Everyone shouted and ran from him while laughing and eating some sort of baked good.

**. : + : .**

The noise from inside floated outside, reaching the top of a cliff that overlooked Magnolia and Fairy Tail. Black, narrow boot covered feet stopped at the edge of the cliff, sending small rocks down the side of it. Black, boot cut jeans covered the top half of the boots and disappeared into a thick, red cloak. The hood was pulled up, covering everything expect for a pair of smirking lips. The figure stared down directly at Fairy Tail, hearing all the noise from the guild.

"I've finally found you, Margo," a young man's voice announced, his voice sounding airy and light. He continued smirking as he turned from the cliff, his cloak billowing out as he headed for the guild.

* * *

**A/N:** HAHA! A literal cliff hanger! LOL!

Hope you enjoyed the chapter! I'll have the next one up soon!

Remember to review please!

Yours Truly,

MyDearWatson


	7. Enter: Kaiden Nystrom!

**A/N: **Another chapter down!

I'm very excited about this one since I finally got to introduce my next OC for the story! I've really been working hard on developing him too, so I hope he turned out well.

This chapter took me a little bit to figure out too since I had to find a song to fit into it. The song that is sung is 'Home' by Jack Johnson and I do NOT own it! But it took forever to choose it! I had to find a song with mainly just guitar as the instrument, but it all ended up working out.

I would like to thank Link, Niwen, emo steve, Kasai no Oni, ReadingGurl07 and MusicOfMadness for their awesome reviews!

Link - I thought the cliff hanger part was great too! Glad to hear you found it so funny. And yes, the relationship is starting to move forward. There's definitely going to be some back and forth with them, but it'll slowly build over time. I can't wait to write the next big arc for Margo (not the Laxus/Parade one but my own arc) since that's where their relationship will really start to build, though I do have to figure out how to incorporate Levy's feelings into the picture unless I just change it where she doesn't have the crush on Gajeel at all. Anyways, yes eventually I will be doing a flashback on how Zepplin ended up in the alley way and how Margo took him in. There's going to be little flashbacks for quite a few things that should be starting to show up here soon! Well, I think that's enough for now from me, lol! Enjoy the chapter!

Niwen - I know! All those sweets being taken away from Dante! LOL! And it's always poor Makarov with the way the guild always gets torn up. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

emo steve - I just have to say, 'WOW!' Thanks for the compliment! It means a lot that the story is turning out so well and that you like it so much! I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the other ones!

Kasai no Oni - LOL! Well I'll let you decide on whether the new character looks good or not! And yeah, every time I write in Nick's bakery it makes me want a muffin! Hope you enjoy the chapter!

ReadingGurl07 - LOL! That was one of my favorite parts to write! I was having a hard time trying to come up with a way for Margo to find out that Gray strips since she can't see. So the only thing that could possibly work was having her touch him! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

MusicOfMadness - LOL! The cliff hanger always gets people and I had to do it for that chapter. I had to leave you wanting to find out who the figure is. You won't find out everything in this chapter, but you do get to meet the mystery man, if the title of the chapter has anything to say about it. Enjoy this chapter!

I don't own Fairy Tail!

Please Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 7: Enter: Kaiden Nystrom!**

"What's all the excitement about?" Margo asked after entering the guild.

Everyone was talking animatedly and running around the guild in excitement. Even her brothers seemed fully interested on whatever was happening.

"A reporter is coming to Fairy Tail!" Lucy answered with a big smile on her face, "I can't wait for him to get here! I'll finally be a famous mage after he writes his report on me!"

"A reporter?" Margo questioned, not at all sure how to feel about it. A reporter means that they would be pushing for information. She didn't like people sticking their noses into her business and she was sure that if this reporter was persistent with her, she would knock them out. That wouldn't be good for the guild's reputation.

"He's from _Sorcerer Magazine_," Mirajane stated, appearing next to Margo, "His name is Jason and he's done a few reports on Fairy Tail before. He's very…er…enthusiastic," she stated with a nervous smile.

"I don't like the way you said enthusiastic," Margo said.

"Real men take on enthusiastic challenges!" Elfman shouted, appearing on the other side of Margo.

"So you're the Elfman that my brother has been taking after," Margo huffed, temporarily distracted from the reporter news, "I have a bone to pick with you!"

"Real men don't fight with women!" Elfman shouted.

"Well you picked one when you have Dante going on about real men and what they do for over an hour! I still can't get half of his 'real men facts' out of my head and I blame you!" she shouted back, getting right in his face.

"I'm sorry!" Elfman cried.

"Whoa there!" Aero said as he intervened. He pulled Margo away from Elman, the large man moving to hide behind Mirajane, who was laughing at the scene, "Don't start anything. Not today, Margo. Or else that Jason guy will write it in his report."

"So," Margo stated, crossing her arms, "Isn't he coming here to see what Fairy Tail is like? Shouldn't he see us as we are?"

"Not when all his reports have made our reputation worse each time he prints them," Aero retorted, "So you have to be on your best behavior."

"I'm not a five year old," Margo growled, "Plus, you act just as bad as I do, ya jerk!"

"Brat! At least I have manners!"

"You can stick your manners up you're a-"

"COOL!" a loud voice announced, cutting Margo off.

Everyone looked towards the front of the guild to see an excited, blonde man with a white satchel and a fancy camera. He flitted around the place for a moment, in complete awe by the whole place. Finally, Mirajane made her way over to him, knowing exactly who he was.

"Hello Jason," she greeted with a smile.

"Oh my God! Mirajane!" he continued to shout, snapping pictures of her, "You're just as beautiful as ever!"

"Thank you, Jason," she said in return, "You seem very excited today."

"Of course! I'm always excited when I get to come to the Fairy Tail guild! You guys are the best!" he explained, "It's even better with all the new members that I get to meet today too!"

"Well, that's my cue to leave," Margo announced, almost succeeding in escaping the guild for the day. Unfortunately, Aero got in her way.

"I don't think so," he said, grabbing her by the back of her tank top. He pulled her back to stand in front of him, "If the rest of us had to go face Jason, then so do you."

"But Aeroooooo," she whined loudly, catching Jason's attention in the process.

"COOL!" Jason shouted yet again when he was face to face with Margo. Margo flinched from the volume of his voice and quickly stomped down on Aero's foot.

"You little brat!" he hissed quietly enough so Jason wouldn't hear him.

"That's what you get for making me stay, you jerk!" she hissed back.

"You must be the newest Dragon Slayer that joined Fairy Tail," Jason smiled widely, "So is it true that you're blind?" he asked, reaching out to remove her sunglasses.

Margo literally hissed at the man and aimed to bite the hand that was reaching towards her. Luckily Aero once again intervened and pulled Margo back just enough so that her teeth would miss clamping down onto the reporter's hand.

"Such fierceness!" he announced happily as he snapped a picture of Margo.

"I can't believe that I have to tell you not to bite people!" Aero growled.

"I wouldn't have to if they didn't try to touch me!"

"I told you to be on your best behavior!"

"And I told you that I'm not five years old! I will bite who I want to bite!"

"A statement like that makes you sound five years old!"

"At least I have the guts to show him what I'm really like!"

"Yeah, and that would be a brat!"

"Jerk!"

"Brat!"

"Jerk!"

"A loving fight between siblings!" Jason shouted, snapping another picture of the two.

"Piss off Jason!" the arguing duo yelled at the man.

"So cool! You're even in sync!"

"How about you meet some of the other new members," Mirajane interrupted with a nervous smile before the reporter really did get hurt.

"Yes, of course!"

Mirajane quickly steered the man away from Margo and Aero, earning a thank you from Aero. The two continued on like they normally did while Jason moved around the guild in pure excitement. After a while, Margo and Aero cooled down and were now sitting at the bar with Elfman serving drinks to them.

"Where's Mira?" Aero asked, taking a swig of his beer.

"Nee-chan is going to be on stage soon to sing, so she went to go change," Elfman answered while wiping down some glasses.

"Your sister has a very good voice," Margo smiled, remembering what little she got to hear of it the day before. She was excited to hear more from the woman.

"My Nee-chan has the best voice ever!" Elfman smiled proudly.

"That she does," Aero smirked.

Margo quirked an eyebrow at her brother. As far as she could tell, he never gave out compliments so easily. A sly smile then spread across her face, "You like Mira!" she teased him.

Aero spit out his beer, splatters of it going across the table, "What?! No, I don't!" Aero tried to defend himself, "I was only stating that I liked her voice."

"Liar!" Margo laughed.

"You like my Nee-chan?! You better not do anything bad to her! As a man, I can't let you get away with hurting her!" Elfman shouted, fire burning in his eyes.

"You two are both crazy!" Aero stated, "Mira and I aren't even going out!"

"But you want to," Margo grinned while dodging the glass that Aero threw at her.

Before Aero could say anything in his defense, the lights dimmed. Everyone turned towards the stage, expecting Mirajane to be standing there. White curtains were pulled apart to reveal Gajeel sitting on stage instead. He was dressed in an all-white tuxedo along with a white hat, sunglasses and wooden guitar.

"What the hell?!" the entire guild shouted. Most of them had their jaws dropped and their eyes whited out in shock.

Margo turned towards the stage while drinking her own beer. She was curious as to why the whole guild was in a shocked state. It's not like Mirajane could be doing something that outrageous. She didn't seem that type of person.

"There aren't many things that can entertain me," a deep voice sung as the guitar was strummed along with it.

It was Margo's turn to spit out her drink, "Gajeel?!" she shouted while wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She couldn't believe that the man was on stage performing.

"I was a stray wolf, but now that I'm accepted by you guys then I should get closer to you," Gajeel continued singing, "Even though we were enemies before now we're friends."

"What the hell is this?!" Natsu shouted, covering his ears to help stop the sound coming through.

After Margo was through being stunned, she snorted in laughter, "He's so bad! Oh my God! He's so bad!" she announced, starting to laugh harder, "If you're gonna steal the stage, you should at least be good!" she added, falling to the floor in laughter.

"At least the lyrics are half way decent," Gray stated from the table beside Margo.

"And he's trying to warm up to everyone," Juvia stated with a happy smile. She was glad to see that Gajeel had taken her advice and try to become friends with the people at the guild, "Go Gajeel-kun!"

"This is a song I wrote called 'Best Friend'," Gajeel announced, trying his best to ignore Natsu's complaints and Margo's laughing, "So listen up!" he said before he started singing again, "Colorful, colorful, shooby doo bop. The melody of love. Blue metallic. Shooby doo bop."

Margo could only laugh harder and hold her sides while doing so, "Shooby doo bop? Oh God! It's so bad! So bad! Please stop!"

"Oi! Metal brain! You suck!" Natsu shouted. In return, Natsu earned a guitar in his face, the same one that Gajeel had just been playing.

"Don't interrupt my concert, flame head!" Gajeel shouted, standing up from his seat.

"It's better that he did," Margo said, still on the floor and still laughing, "Do you even know how bad you were?"

Gajeel jumped from the stage over to where Margo was, "I'd like to see you do better," he growled out, looking down at her with his sunglasses shinning in the sunlight.

"I'm a Sound Dragon, of course I can do better," Margo smirked, "But that still doesn't change the fact that you were bad. I could teach you if you'd like."

"I don't need lessons!" he growled down at her.

"You're still such a bad liar," she laughed, loving the fact that she was able to push his buttons for once.

"I'll show you who's the liar!" he shouted, running at her with an iron covered fist.

Margo easily dodged the punch, rolling to the left. This caused Gajeel to punch a hole in the floor. Margo hopped to her feet with a smile still on her face. Gajeel moved to chase after her when she took off running. She laughed the entire time, especially when her brothers and several other guild members joined in on the chasing. It almost felt like a giant game of tag to her. Part of Margo knew she should feel bad for instigating the chase, since it was half way destroying the guild and it was happening while Jason was there. She could hear Makarov crying in the background about how the guild always gets torn up and how it could be happening on today of all days. But she just couldn't bring herself to feel guilty, not when everyone was having so much fun; even Gajeel seemed to be enjoying himself, even if he wouldn't admit it to anyone. He wouldn't still be chasing after her if he wasn't.

**. : + : .**

Things had settled down later that day and Jason had left, completely excited about writing his report. The guild had gotten cleaned up, for the most part. Margo had even found another mission to take thanks to Levy reading the missions off the board. She had also managed to select the mission without her brothers finding out. She felt the need to work alone on this mission and her brothers needed to find a mission of their own to make their own money. Besides, she had Zepplin with her for it. She would never be alone with him around.

Margo looked down at said dog and smiled. She rubbed the top of his head as they headed out of the guild. The sun was just beginning to set, indicating that they had about an hour left of light out. Margo had planned on going back to Fairy Hills, but something seemed to pull her towards town. She shrugged, figuring a walk would be good for both her and Zepplin.

She took her time during the walk, taking in the sounds and smells of a late evening, summer day. She still disliked the hint of salt water she could smell in the air, but she was slowly becoming used to it. Luckily, that evening brought a small breeze coming from the nearby forest. She loved the mossy smell it brought, considering she grew up deep in a forest with Philomela. It reminded her of home. She could also smell an earthy scent in the air.

'It smells more like stone than earth, though,' she thought while sniffing the air again, 'And it's coming more from the middle of town rather than the forest.'

She also liked the smell of rock or stone since Philomela and her had lived close to a mountain as well. She had loved rock climbing. It had taught her to take her steps carefully and to feel for the earth beneath her. It was one of the ways she had learned how to cope with being blind and how to move on her own without a walking stick. It meant more than home. It meant stability for her.

Margo decided to follow that smell to see what it lead her to. She moved a little quicker, Zepplin moving into a fast trot to keep up with her. As she moved closer to the middle of town, she began to hear a light strumming of a guitar. She finally broke through the crowd to come upon the large fountain that sat directly in the middle of the town. Margo began to walk towards the fountain, hearing the strumming coming from the other side of it. She slowly rounded the fountain and stopped when she was beside the person strumming the guitar. She stood there quietly for a moment, taking in the beautiful melody that was being played. It was sweet and simple, a sound perfect for summer. Though, the sound came to a quick stop and Margo knew that whoever was playing the guitar was looking up at her.

"Peaches?" Gajeel's gruff voice asked.

"Gajeel?" Margo questioned, surprised that he had been the one playing. Then it registered what he had called her, "Peaches?"

"Well, you keep making me eat peach muffins," he answered, "I thought it fit."

"Whatever," she grumbled, not wanting to start another argument with the man. When she felt more energetic, she was sure she would fight him on it then, "I can't believe that was you playing."

"I told you I didn't need lessons," he retorted.

"Maybe not with the guitar," she grinned, "But I still think that you could use some help with your singing."

"Why would I want help?"

"Because you seem passionate about music," she answered while rubbing Zepplin behind an ear, "I mean, you literally chained Mira up just so you could play on stage. If someone loves something that much, they should be given the chance to learn. Don't you think?" she asked with a warm smile.

Gajeel stared at her for a moment and flushed lightly. He was happy at that moment that she was blind so she couldn't see it.

"I told you that I could teach you. I did have a good teacher, after all."

"Yeah, and who was that?"

"Philomela, my dragon," she answered softly, remembering the singing lessons with the Sound Dragon.

Gajeel was quiet while he watched her face. He knew that look. He wore a similar one when he was alone and remembering his time with Metalicana. Even if the Iron Dragon was a bit rough around the edges, he was still his foster father and Gajeel still missed him.

"Fine," he sighed, "Sing a song for me and prove that you're good enough to teach me and I might consider it."

"Great!" Margo beamed.

"But this doesn't mean I'm admitting I'm a bad singer, got it?!"

"I understand," she answered, "Can I use your guitar?"

"Sure."

Margo picked up the wooden guitar and let her fingers slide over the strings. She then quickly tuned the guitar to where she wanted it, "This song is called 'Home'. It's one of the first songs I ever learned with Philomela," she explained before strumming the first chord. She created a steady and simple melody, one that made Gajeel want to lean back and relax. After a few more seconds of just the guitar, Margo started singing, "I've got to get home there's a garden to tend. There's fruit on the ground and the birds have all moved back. Into my attic with whistling static. When the young learn to fly I will patch all the holes up again," she sang. Her voice surprised Gajeel. It was soft and light, but with a slight edge to it; as if she could sing something heavier if she wanted to. It was almost memorizing to him and he actually found himself relaxing to the song and to her voice.

"Well I can't believe that my lime tree is dead. I thought it was sleeping, I guess it got fed up with not being fed. And I would be too. I need food in my belly and hope that my time isn't soon," Margo continued, a small crowd starting to appear around them. The crowd smiled and swayed to her song, seeming to enjoy it as much as Gajeel, "And so I'll try to understand what I can't hold in my hands. And wherever we are home is there too. And if you could try to find it too 'cause this place is overgrowing to whacks and gloom. Home is wherever we are if there's nothing too."

A figure in a thick, red coat approached the crowd. He knew it was Margo the instant that she started singing. It was hard to forget her voice after all this time. He smirked at having found her so easily. His smirk quickly faded, though, upon seeing the man with her. He had hoped that he would be able to approach her alone. Now he would have to deal with someone else as well and he saw from the marking on the man's shoulder that he was her guild mate. That would most likely mean he would be protective of her if Fairy Tail's reputation was anything to go by.

"Damn," the figure cursed, but did nothing else as Margo's song continued.

"In the back of our house there's a trail that won't end. We've been walking so far that it grew back in. There's no trail at all only grass growing tall. And I'll get out my machete and battle with time once again. But I'm bound to lose 'cause I'll be damned if time don't win," she sang while smiling. She could feel Gajeel leaning backwards slightly in relaxation as well as Zepplin lying comfortably at her feet. It made her happy that they were both enjoying the song as much as the crowd around her did, "I got to get home there's a garden to tend. All the seeds from the fruit bear Eden. Begin their own family trees, teach them thank you and please. As they spread their own roots then watch the young fruit grow again. And this old trail will lead me right back to where it begins."

Gajeel decided right there and then that he enjoyed Margo's voice very much and that he wanted to hear it as often as possible; not that he would admit that to her. He would just have to figure out ways to get her to sing without coming right out and asking her to. He let her voice swirl around him and take him away from everything. In that one moment he was able to forget about everything that has ever happened to him and everything that he has ever done. It was almost like pure magic and he decided right then as well that his new name for her would be Siren instead of Peaches. It suited her much better, considering how well she could sing and the fact that she was a Sound Dragon Slayer.

"And so I'll try to understand what I can't hold in my hand. And whatever I find, I'll find my way back to you. And if you could try to find it too 'cause this place is overgrowing to whacks and gloom. Home is wherever we are if there's nothing too," she sang the last line and strummed the guitar for a few more seconds before finally ending the song. The crowd around her clapped and praised her before leaving for home. Once the crowd was gone, Margo turned towards Gajeel with a smile, "So what did you think? Good enough to teach you?"

Gajeel was quiet for a moment, trying to figure out how to answer her. Finally, he just opted with using his regular attitude for his answer, "Yeah, I guess so. There's no one better in town anyways, so I guess I have no choice, right?"

Margo puffed her cheeks out in irritation. He couldn't just simply say what a good job she did and then say yes to having her help him. No. Instead, he has to give her one of his snarky remarks. Margo let go of the air she was holding in and also let his comment go. She supposed that was just how the man was. At least she got the affirmative from him and that's all that mattered. Before she could say anything in reply, a figure approached them and interrupted their conversation.

"If I may be so bold," a smooth voice said from beneath the hood, "There isn't a better voice anywhere."

"Um…thanks," Margo said, a little unnerved by the man under the cloak. His voice sounded eerily familiar and it was one that sent a shiver down her spine. Margo was fairly good at remembering voices, but it was as if something in her mind had blocked out this specific one, "Are you a singer yourself?" Margo asked, not wanting to sit in silence any longer. She could feel Zepplin lift his head up and he began to growl lowly. It was very odd for the hound to do that. He was normally a very sweet dog to other people unless they meant harm to her. She also felt Gajeel tense up next to her and for once she felt happy to have the Iron Dragon Slayer around. Even if she could take care of herself, Margo felt better with having someone around. The mysterious man put her on edge and she hadn't felt that way for a long time.

"I sing a little, but not quite as well as you," he answered, an airy tone in his voice, "But I do play the guitar and piano fairly well. I could show you if you like," he stated, motioning to the wooden guitar that Margo held.

Margo instinctively tightened her grip on the instrument, feeling more and more uncomfortable with the situation, "Well, the guitar isn't mine, so it would be rude of me to hand it over."

"Not yours, is it?"

"No, it's mine," Gajeel said gruffly as he stood and moved slightly in front of Margo. He didn't like the man any more than Margo did. He got a bad vibe from him. No matter how polite the man sounded, he still didn't feel like he meant well, "And I don't think I'll be handing it over to you."

"I see," the man said, backing off a little, "I hope I didn't offend you or anything. It's just that I enjoy music is all."

"Then maybe you should go off and find your own damn guitar," Gajeel growled, his fist clenching.

"Gajeel," Margo called out, laying a hand on his arm, "It's all right. I don't think he meant any harm. Did you?" she asked, turning towards the man.

"No, not at all."

"See? It's fine," Margo continued, "But we must be going, sir. It's getting late and we have things to do tomorrow," she explained, wanting to get away from the man as quickly as possible. Her level of comfort was shot and she didn't want to be near him any longer than she had to. She stood quickly, Zepplin following her movements. She began to turn, pulling on Gajeel's arm to get him to move as well. Before she could fully turn around, the man called out to her and had her frozen in her tracks.

"Going so soon, Margo-chan?" he asked, a smirk spreading across his face. Gajeel saw the smirk under the hood, causing his muscles to tense up even more. He didn't like that look. The man knew something about Margo that he wasn't sharing with the rest of them.

"How…how do you know my name?" she asked, turning to face him slowly.

"I can't believe that you don't recognize my voice. That makes me sad and after everything we've been through," he said, "Maybe you'll recognize me better if I call you Sugar-chan instead."

Margo's eyes went wide underneath her sunglasses as memories began to flood her mind.

"_We could sing together, ya know? We'd make more money that way."_

"_We'll always have each other, Sugar-chan."_

"_Sugar-chan! I did my first spell today! Maybe we can both join a guild!"_

"_Margo, I love you."_

"_Sugar-chan, I found some people from a guild. We should go check them out."_

"_Don't you trust me, Margo?"_

"_Why would you leave me, Margo?"_

"Kaiden? Kaiden Nystrom?" Margo managed to ask after her memories came to a stop.

"The one and only," the man confirmed as he pulled his cloak completely off.

There stood a man in narrow black boots with boot cut, black jeans. He wore a pale blue, button up shirt with a black, satin vest over it. A black, leather belt hung loosely on his hips in order to hold up a cane. The cane was about three feet long and most of it was made out of a solid black, smooth stone. On the top of the cane was a huge blood diamond and the last three inches of the cane was also made out of a blood diamond and sharpened into a point. He was a slender man with pale, smooth skin. He was very neat and pristine, his teeth a shining white when he smiled. His eyes were a bright blue, seeming to go on for miles like the ocean. Finally, his hair was platinum blonde, cut short with his bangs styled up.

The man definitely wasn't what Gajeel was expecting him to look like. For the bad vibe he had gotten from him, he figured that this Kaiden guy would be a bit more…dangerous looking. Instead, he looked like some guy with too much money and too much time on his hands.

"Kaiden…" Margo said, drifting off for a moment, "It's been a long time."

"Yes, it has," he smiled politely at her, "It's been two years since we went our separate ways. I hope you've fared well."

"Yeah, I have," Margo answered, feeling like she was dreaming. She never thought she would ever run into Kaiden again; not after the way it ended between them. Yet, there he was standing in front of her, "I joined Fairy Tail."

"I can see that from your pretty marking," he stated gently, seeing part of her guild mark sticking out from underneath her sunglasses, "I would like to come by some time to check out your guild, if you don't mind. You see, I'm making my way around Fiore to see all the big guilds. Fairy Tail was next on my list."

"I thought you joined a guild of your own," Margo said, "Don't you have to be there with them?"

"I'm on a bit of a vacation right now," he answered easily, "I've recently made it into the S-Class ranks of my guild and I figured some time away would be good right now."

"I see," Margo said, "Well, I don't know if you'll get much out of Fairy Tail right now. We're getting ready for the Fantasia Parade that'll be going on in a week."

"I don't mind. Plus, it will be good to see Fairy Tail in full swing," he replied, "I'll stop by sometime this week," he said, starting to turn away to leave for the night, but quickly stopped, "Oh and Sugar-chan," he began sweetly, picking up her right hand and placing a soft kiss on her fingers, "We should go out some time while I'm here if you're free. I'd love to catch up with you."

Kaiden then bowed to the small group before walking away. Girls swooned after him as he walked by just by his sheer good looks, and he chuckled lightly in response.

Margo stood there in a half frozen state with her right hand hanging in the air. She didn't know how to take in what had just happened. She thought she would never have to worry about running into Kaiden again. What was she supposed to do now? He seemed different than what he was like the last time they were together; but Kaiden was an expert liar. What if everything he told them was a lie? She supposed she would have to wait and see what would happen. Kaiden hadn't done anything, so it wasn't like she could do anything against him. Though, Margo couldn't help but feel like a giant weight had just been thrown down on her.

"Hellooooo? Siren?" Gajeel called out, waving a hand in front of her face, "Oi! Siren! Are you in there?!"

"What? Oh, I'm sorry," Margo said, shaking her head to clear it.

Gajeel stared at her for a moment. She was unusually quiet and he suddenly didn't like that. It practically confirmed that the bad vibe he got from Kaiden had been correct, "Who was that guy?"

"Kaiden Nystrom," Margo answered, turning to walk towards Fairy Hills. All she wanted to do was go to bed and hide from everyone while she thought some things out.

Gajeel jogged a little to catch up with her and Zepplin, "And how do you know him?"

Margo sighed, not wanting to get into the subject. Though, she felt that Gajeel deserved some sort of answer after having to go through the situation that just happened, "We used to date."

"Whoa! What?!" he shouted, "You actually dated Mr. Clean and Pristine?" he asked.

Margo gave him a flat look, "Yes, I did. Is that a problem?"

"No, no," he answered, waving his hands in front of him. She already seemed to be in a bad enough mood, he didn't feel like making it worse and have her end up hitting him, "But he just seems like a total opposite for you."

"Opposites attract, ya know."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

The two were silent for a moment before Margo realized what Gajeel had called her earlier.

"And what the hell is up with Siren? I thought you were calling me Peaches?"

"Yeah, well, I changed my mind," Gajeel answered with a huff, "You sing and you're a Sound Dragon Slayer. It seemed to fit better."

"But it makes me sound like some sort of…evil mermaid."

"Maybe that's what you are, Gi Hee," he snickered.

Margo rolled her eyes at his answer, "I'd rather go by Peaches."

"Too late. It's set in stone."

"Change it," she ordered, pushing him on his shoulder.

"No," he said, pushing her back.

"Change it!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

Soon enough the two were in an all-out brawl the entire way back to Fairy Hills. Margo was happy for the distraction, but she still couldn't shake the worry she felt about finding out that Kaiden was in town. She truly hoped that Kaiden was telling the truth. She had finally found some peace in her life and she didn't want anything to ruin it so soon.

* * *

**A/N: **Well there you go! Hope you all enjoyed it! I'll have the next one up soon!

Remember to please review!

Yours Truly,

MyDearWatson


	8. Under Pressure

**A/N: **Boom! Another chapter!

Ok, so, I meant to put this in here a long time ago, but I kept on forgetting. Just a little fun fact - Philomela means 'lover of music' in Greek. That's how I chose the name for her. I thought it was fitting.

So this chapter doesn't have as many fun moments as some of the other chapters, but I still enjoyed it!

Oh! And the title of this chapter was by no means supposed to connect to the Queen song 'Under Pressure'; but if there are any of you out there thinking that, I don't own that song!

I would like to thank Link, Niwen, MusicOfMadness and fanficFreakShingeki for their reviews!

Link - LOL! Yeah I tend to talk a lot. But I'm glad that you're liking the way that Gajeel and Margo's relationship is moving. I always get worried about moving too fast with things like that, so it's good to hear that it's turning out nicely! And yeah, I definitely have some awesome things planned with Kaiden. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Niwen - Yep, Kaiden is definitely going to be trouble! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

MusicOfMadness - You'll find out in due time why Kaiden is in Magnolia! It may surprise you a little, LOL! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

fanficFreakShingeki - Glad to hear you enjoyed Chapter 2! Hope you enjoyed the next ones after just as much! Enjoy this chapter as well!

I don't own Fairy Tail!

Please enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 8: Under Pressure**

Margo sighed as she and Zepplin came back into the town of Magnolia. She had been on a quick mission with only Zepplin as a partner. She was basically hired to be a bouncer at a music festival for the past four days. It was easy work, Margo gaining 40,000 jewels for the job. Though, she could have done without the attitudes of some of the artists she had to watch over. Still, she had enjoyed the music and the most that she had to worry about were the few crazy fans that tried to touch their favorite signers.

The reason for Margo's sigh, though, was not over the mission she had just completed. Two other reasons were to blame for her mood. One was the fact that she knew her brothers would be all over her as soon as she got back to the guild. She knew they would be there too. With the Fantasia Parade coming up soon, most of the guild members hadn't taken any jobs for the past week. Margo still needed enough money to make rent though, so she took the job. She made sure to find one short enough for her to be back in time for the parade though. Originally, her brothers had insisted on going with her again. Margo put an instant stop to that. She told them that she could handle this one on her own. That, and she needed some time to herself. She still had a lot on her mind after her run in with Kaiden. Eventually her brothers gave in, mostly due to Margo stomping on Aero's foot yet again.

Kaiden was the other reason for her sighing. She knew he would still be in town as well. She hadn't run into him again before she left for her mission, but she was sure she would now. He seemed eager to stay and see Fairy Tail in the parade; and then there was his little remark about taking her out. Margo was sure that he wouldn't forget about that so easily.

Honestly, she didn't want to deal with any of it. She'd rather just go home and sleep for the next week. That way she could just skip over everything. She sighed again, knowing that wasn't possible. Her brothers made sure to find out how long the festival would be lasting before she left. They knew exactly when she would be getting back in town. If she didn't get it over with today, they would come find her eventually. It would only make things worse if she waited.

"I guess we should get heading to the guild," Margo said to Zepplin. Said dog was walking leisurely next to her, panting lightly from the heat of the day, "I just hope it's not that crazy today. I'm not in the mood to be super energetic," she continued, receiving a lick from Zepplin, "Good boy," she smiled softly, rubbing behind one of his ears.

The rest of the walk to the guild was silent, except for a few townspeople saying hello to Margo as she passed. She nodded or waved to them, but she stayed quiet for the most part. Margo was too deep in thought to really pay attention to them.

She knew she could handle her brothers and it really didn't bother her all that much when they hugged her or hovered over her. She was becoming used to it and was even starting to enjoy it since they've been separated for so long. What Margo was more worried about was Kaiden. She still had a nervous feeling about the man being around. She just couldn't let that feeling go. Her instincts had never lead her wrong before, so why would this time be any different? She supposed it was because she had an emotional tie with the man. Still, she shouldn't let that get in the way of her diagnosing the situation.

"Aaahhh!" she shouted while frantically scratching her head, "Why did this shit have to happen?! Things were going so well too!"

Margo gave up thinking about Kaiden for the moment. She was close to the guild and she didn't want her guild mates to notice how stressed she was. They would start asking questions if they did. She took a deep breath to calm herself before she pushed the doors open to the guild.

At first no one seemed to notice her. A large crowd was in the middle of the guild that seemed to be preoccupied with something. Margo shrugged and headed up to the bar area. She took a seat at one of the stools, happy that she was being left alone at the moment.

"Margo, welcome back," Mirajane said, smiling at her, "How did your mission go?"

"It went pretty well," she answered as she settled into her seat and Zepplin laid down under her feet, "A few crazy fans to fight off, but the music at the festival was pretty decent. Nothing like your voice though," she smirked.

"Oh, why thank you," Mirajane replied, "But I'm glad to hear it went well. You were paid a decent amount, right?"

"Yeah," Margo answered, "I have enough now to pay rent when the first of the month comes around."

"Great!" Mirajane grinned, "So what can I get you?"

"Just an ale will do and some water for Zepplin, please."

"Coming up," she said, turning around for a moment.

"Margo."

"Margo-chan!"

Margo turned to her left upon hearing Gray and Juvia call out to her. The two walked over to her, taking the next couple of seats beside her. Gray ordered an ale as well before turning to Margo, his shirt suddenly disappearing. Luckily for Margo, she couldn't see if he had one on or not.

"How did your mission go?" Gray asked.

"Pretty good," she answered, "It didn't have too many problems and I was paid fairly well for it."

"Juvia is glad you're back," Juvia said from the other side of her after ordering her own drink, "Margo-chan's brothers were starting to drive everyone crazy."

Margo chuckled a little, "I expected them to. I'm sorry you had to deal with them."

"Well, Juvia supposes that it wasn't as bad as Gajeel-kun's attitude over the past four days," Juvia smiled knowingly.

"Gajeel?"

"Yeah, the iron head has been grumpier than usual," Gray huffed.

"That's weird," Margo commented as Mirajane turned around with everyone's order, "I wonder why."

Mirajane and Juvia exchanged glances before laughing lightly, "We know why," they both teased.

"What? Tell us why!" both Margo and Gray demanded.

"You'll have to figure it out yourself," Mirajane said as she came out from behind the counter to set down a bowl of water for Zepplin.

Margo rolled her eyes, but decided to drop the subject. She didn't need an extra problem to think about. She took a long drink of her ale, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, "So what's going on over there?" she asked, motioning over to the large crowd that she had sensed when she entered the guild.

"Oh, that's –" Mirajane began with a more serious tone, but she was never able to finish.

"Margo!" Aero and Dante shouted, running out of the crowd and towards their sister. Before Margo could move out of the way, Dante had swept her up in a tight hug.

"When did you get back?" Aero asked.

"About ten minutes ago," she answered as Dante sat her back on the stool.

"Then why didn't you come find us?" Aero asked with a stern look.

"I wasn't gonna hunt you down in that crowd," Margo huffed, "I've dealt with enough crowds for the past four days. I just came here to stop and get a drink and let you know I made it back before I head home."

"But you can go yet!" Dante stated, "You have to tell us all about your mission first."

"I was a bouncer for some stuck up singers. What else is there to tell?" Margo retorted, becoming a little irritated. She was tired and she still didn't want to deal with people, especially her overbearing brothers.

"Well you at least have to stay and meet our guest," Aero said.

"Guest?" Margo repeated, feeling her heart fall to her stomach, 'Please,' she thought, 'Just please don't let it be him.'

"He stopped by a few days ago and he's been a hit ever since," Aero continued, seeming not to notice how pale Margo suddenly turned or how tightly she was grabbing onto the bar countertop. Dante noticed, though, and frowned. It worried him when he saw her knuckles turn white from her tight grip and how nervous she suddenly became, "His name is –"

"Kaiden Nystrom," the familiar, smooth voice announced as he appeared in front of Margo. He picked her hand up and kissed it again like he had done four days ago, "I told you I would stop by Margo-chan."

Everyone went silent by his actions and words. Dante watched the scene with protective eyes, not sure how to take what had just happened. Aero simply watched the scene, still not picking up on how uncomfortable Margo was. He had taken a liking to Kaiden and he was honestly happy that the man had taken a liking to Margo. He seemed like a good man and he approved of him going after Margo.

"Yeah, you did, but I figured you'd wait for me to be here," Margo stated, somehow managing to find her voice. She did her best to ignore the sound of pouting women in the background and the stares she knew she was receiving from the others around her. She couldn't believe that he would actually show up while she was gone. Who knows what he could have said while she was on her mission! Now she had more to worry about!

"I did try to wait, honestly," he answered, "But I didn't realize that you were taking an extended mission and I didn't want to waste my time in getting to know your guild. It's quite interesting here," he grinned.

"Yeah, I know," she mumbled, seeming to answer purely on instinct.

"So how was your mission? I hope it wasn't too hard for you," he said politely, but Margo picked up on the condescending tone in his voice.

Suddenly her face turned into a scowl and she yanked her hand out of his, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she growled, "That it 'wasn't too hard for me'? You know I can make it on my own."

"Oh, I know how well you can make it on your own, Sugar-chan," he said lowly, staring at her silently for a moment. Eventually, Kaiden pulled a smile back onto his face, "I just wanted to make sure things went well for you, that's all."

Margo glared at him from underneath her sunglasses. Her instincts were shooting up red flags, but she still couldn't do anything. He hadn't done anything while she was gone and she would just look stupid if she started attacking him, whether it was verbally or physically. She took a deep breath and relaxed herself as best she could before answering him, "Well, thank you for your concern."

"Of course," Kaiden smiled widely, causing the women in the guild to swoon, "I must be going, but I have a request to make of you before I go."

"And what would that be?" she asked.

"Let me take you out. For old time's sake."

Margo was quiet. She didn't know how to answer him. She really didn't want to go out with him, but everyone was watching them. It made her even more nervous with all the attention focused on her.

"Of course she'll go," Aero announced when Margo still hadn't answered Kaiden.

"Aero!" Margo hissed.

"What? He's a good guy and I think it'll be good for you," Aero retorted.

"Great," Kaiden said, "I'll pick you up here at the guild tomorrow afternoon."

"But I didn't…" Margo began, but she wasn't able to finish since Kaiden had already started walking out of the guild. Once she heard the doors shut, Margo promptly turned on her stool and smacked Aero upside the head.

"Ow, you brat! What the hell was that for?!" Aero shouted.

"Don't ever make decisions for me again!" she snapped back in true anger. Everyone was taken aback by her reaction, never having seen her so angry before. They knew she had a short temper, but they had never seen Margo become honestly angry.

"The guy was asking you out, Margo," Aero pushed, not afraid of her wrath.

"So?" she growled, "Why didn't you act like you always do with any other guy? Why didn't you chase him off? The one time that it would have been useful, you idiot!"

"What's your problem?" Aero snapped back, "Kaiden is a good guy and he wanted to take you out. You shouldn't just pass that up."

"Oh, so just because you approve of this one, it's okay for him to flirt with me and kiss my hand? That's bullshit Aero and you know it!"

"Why are you so angry?!" he shouted.

"Because you don't know anything!" she screamed, causing Aero to take a step away from her, "Kaiden and I used to date! I ended it between us and now you have me going out on a date with him tomorrow! Way to go!"

Everyone's eyes went wide and Mirajane gasped as she covered her moth with her hand. She moved a little closer to Margo just in case Aero made the situation worse. She knew what it meant to be angry about an ex-boyfriend and women tended to hang onto that anger. Aero didn't seem to know this. Mirajane was sure that Aero was thinking it wasn't that big of a deal.

"You dated? When?" he asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Don't give me that tone," Margo hissed, "It's too late now to act like the protective brother. And it doesn't matter when we dated. It's over now."

"Well you can't be rude," Aero stated, "Just go out with him tomorrow as a friend."

"WHAT?!" Margo yelled, jumping off of her stool, "I CAN'T BE RUDE?! You're the one that set the date up! You can go out with him!"

"I said to go out with him as a friend!"

"YOU'RE SUCH A FUCKING MORON!" she shouted, getting right up in his face, "It doesn't work like that! I can't just magically be friends with the guy, ya know!"

"You had to be friends before you dated him. It can't be that hard to figure out."

Fire suddenly raged in Margo's eyes and she moved to attack him, but Dante and Gray managed to hold her back right before she brought her fist to Aero's face. Her fist stopped right in front of his nose and Aero knew that if she had been able to hit him, she would have broken his nose. Dante and Gray pulled Margo back and kept a hold of her until she calmed down. Mirajane quickly turned on Aero with a disappointing look.

"You should be ashamed of yourself, Aero," she stated sternly.

Aero frowned at Mirajane's words. He hated it when she was disappointed with him. He didn't know what to say to defend himself, so instead he said the first thing he could think of, "Tch, I didn't do anything wrong. I'm out of here," he grumbled and took off out of the guild.

"I'm fine. Let me go!" Margo demanded, trying to wriggle free out of Gray and Dante's grips.

"I don't think you're fine," Dante retorted, his grip tightening on her, "And what if you try going after Aero?"

"I'm not gonna go after him. I've got other things to worry about besides wondering if the moron can hold his own against me," Margo answered, "And it's his own fault anyways. He shouldn't have done what he did."

"No, he shouldn't have," Mirajane interrupted gently, "Let go of her," she ordered, the two boys instantly listening to her. She then turned worried eyes on Margo, "Margo, would you be willing to tell us what happened between you and Kaiden?"

Margo was quiet for a moment, her attention focused on the floor while her messy hair covered her face. She didn't want to talk about Kaiden or the things that she went through with him. She might have been willing to if it was just Mirajane in front of her, but the entire guild had crowded around her at this point and she didn't feel like sharing with everyone.

"Oi! Siren!" Gajeel shouted, interrupting the tense silence. He had watched everything that had happened quietly but closely. He hadn't appreciated Kaiden's presence over the past four days, considering the man was overly polite and kept the women in a constant swooning state. He found it annoying. Though, as annoying as Kaiden was, he found Aero's actions more irritating. He figured that the man would become the protective big brother as soon as Kaiden started flirting with Margo. Instead, he pushed Margo into a date with the prick. He couldn't understand what Aero had been thinking. It had been obvious to him that she was uncomfortable, but Aero just didn't seem to pick up on that fact. And it was obvious now that Margo didn't want to talk about anything, so he decided to intervene, "Aren't you supposed to be teaching me?"

"What the hell do you think you're doing, metal head?" Natsu shouted as Gajeel walked past him towards Margo.

"None of your damn business, flame head," Gajeel retorted, sending him a glare. He continued towards Margo and shoved his guitar into her hands when he was in front of her. Margo's eye went wide from Gajeel's actions. Her attention on the guitar for a moment before she turned towards Gajeel, "Don't stand there with that stupid look on your face. Come on. You're four days late with your lessons," he ordered, pulling on her arm.

Dante moved to stop the pair, but Mirajane stopped him by laying a gentle hand on his arm.

"Let them be," Mirajane said softly, "She's not going to talk right now anyway."

Dante nodded at her, but still wore a worried look. He knew there was more going on than Margo just being angry at Aero. She wouldn't have lashed out at him so harshly otherwise. His eyebrows scrunched together. He knew Margo stated that she had dated Kaiden. He had to wonder what kind of person Kaiden really was for Margo to react the way she did when he introduced himself. He would have to look into the man's background. Something told him that there was more to the man than appeared to the eye and he knew one person that would be able to help him out with his research.

"Levy," Dante called out to the blue haired mage as everyone started to disperse from the crowd.

Levy stopped in mid-step with her team. She motioned for Jet and Droy to continue on without her and walked up to Dante, "Yes?"

"I want you to help me out with some research," he answered, catching the attention of Team Natsu. It wasn't every day that the large man wanted to do bookwork, so it caught their curiosity. The team created a small circle around Dante and Levy, "I need your help looking into that Kaiden Nystrom guy."

"Really?" Levy blinked in surprise.

"The guy seems harmless," Lucy stated, "Why the sudden interest? Won't he be leaving after the parade? We won't be seeing him after that."

"I'm not so sure," Dante said, "There's just something about him that seems off. I mean, he hasn't even said what guild he's from once in the past four days and he's supposed to be an S-Class mage. I'm pretty sure someone of that rank would talk about their guild to put their guild's name out there."

"I've noticed that too," Gray said, "And then there's the way that Margo reacted to him. She seemed tense and nervous. There has to be a reason for that."

"Do you think his polite attitude is just a cover up?" Erza asked.

"Maybe. If that's the case, what does he have to hide?" Gray questioned.

"That's what I want to look into," Dante stated, "Will you help me, Levy?"

"Yes," she answered seriously, "If he's here to hurt Mar-chan, then I'll do everything I can to help you out."

"We'll keep an eye on him too," Erza said.

"Yeah, no one hurts my nakama," Natsu said, his face wearing an unusual serious look.

"Let's go to the library, Dante," Levy said, pulling on his hand.

The two left the guild and Team Natsu took a seat at table, two away from the one that Gajeel and Margo sat at. They watched the pair in silence, all of them thinking about Kaiden and what kind of person he really was.

Gajeel and Margo sat at the table in their own, awkward silence. Soon, Mirajane stopped by the table, holding a drink in each hand. She sat an ale down in front of Gajeel. He nodded his thanks at her. She then sat a steaming glass down in front of Margo. The sound dragon sniffed the air when she felt the heat of the drink and she could smell a sweet tartness coming from the glass.

"It's pomegranate-orange tea with honey in it," Mirajane explained, "I know it's not peach, but it's still sweet and it should help calm you down some."

Margo gave her a small smile, "Thanks Mira," she said, circling her hands around the warm glass. Mirajane gave the duo her own smile before walking away. Margo blew on the liquid before taking a sip, finding that it was good and sweet. She felt her body start to relax a little as she took a few more sips. Once she felt calm enough, she turned her attention to Gajeel, "Thank you, Gajeel," she said softly.

He quirked an eyebrow at her, "What the hell did I do?"

She grinned a little, "I think you know what you did."

He stared at her for a moment before looking away, "Whatever."

"Why do you keep helping me anyways?" she asked.

"It's not like I'm trying to go out of my way for you," he huffed, "I just happen to always be in the wrong place at the wrong time with you. Did you want to spill your guts to the entire guild?"

"No, but…" she drifted off.

"Look, I know what it's like to have a shitty past," he said, "I would be pissed if someone tried to make me talk. I'm pretty sure that you would be too."

Margo stayed quiet for a few minutes, taking in what he said. She had to wonder what Gajeel's past was like, just like she was sure he wanted to know what her own was like. Though, due to the common ground of not wanting to talk about them, they had enough respect for each other to not ask about them.

She nodded at him, knowing nothing else needed to be said on the subject, "So, you really want those lessons?"

"What the hell do you think I dragged you over here for woman?" Gajeel retorted.

"All right, then let's get started," Margo grinned, pulling the guitar into her lap.

"I can't believe he's actually taking lessons from Margo," Gray stated.

"The metal brain needs all the help he can get," Natsu huffed, "I refuse to sit through another one of his concerts."

'WHAM'

"I can hear you, you flame idiot!" Gajeel shouted after throwing a stool at the fire dragon.

"Well someone has to tell you how bad you are!" Natsu shouted back, throwing his own stool at Gajeel. The iron dragon easily dodged the stool, causing it to hit the table that Margo was sitting at. The force of the hit was enough to knock over her tea and spill it on her lap. Margo yelped in pain from the heat of the liquid. She stood from her seat and turned towards Natsu with a scowl.

"Its been nice knowing you," Gray whispered before moving away from Natsu along with Erza and Lucy.

"Natsuuuuu!" Margo growled.

"Uh…it was an accident," Natsu shrugged, "You could have dodged it."

A vein popped out of Margo's forehead as she lifted her hand towards Natsu, her fingers molded to look like a gun, "Sound Dragon's Sonic Bullet!" she shouted. Before Natsu could move out of the way, the sound attack hit him square in the jaw and sent him flying into the guild wall. Natsu pushed himself up after the dust settled, rubbing his jaw, "You could have dodged it," Margo smirked, causing the rest of the guild to laugh.

"This means war!" Natsu shouted, running and jumping at Margo. Just as he was coming down on Margo, an iron bar knocked him backwards into Gray and Erza.

"Gi Hee," Gajeel laughed, turning his arm back to normal, "Doesn't look like you can dodge at all."

"You'll pay for that!" Natsu shouted.

"Natsuuuuu," both Gray and Erza growled, flames erupting behind them.

"What the hell?! It's not my fault! That metal freak knocked me into you!"

"It doesn't matter, flame breath," Gray said.

"And you made me drop my cake!" Erza shouted.

After that, the entire guild was dragged into the brawl, causing the perfect distraction for a certain white haired woman to exit the guild without being noticed.

**. : + : .**

Mirajane quietly walked along the river bank, knowing exactly where Aero was heading. She had known the man long enough to know his escape routes.

'He's not getting away so easily,' Mirajane thought with a frown.

She didn't even smile at the townspeople that waved to her as she passed them. Aero's actions had upset her. She had never seen him act like that. He kept claiming that his sister was a brat, but he seemed to be the brat at the moment. A twenty-one year old should know better than to force his sister into something she clearly didn't want. He was supposed to be the smarter brother, but all his book knowledge couldn't help him figure out this situation.

After a few more moments, Mirajane found Aero sitting on a park bench. He was smoking a cigarette with his head leaned back to look up at the evening sky. She quickly walked up to him and stood in front of him with her hands on his hips.

"Aero," she said sternly, causing him to jump in surprise. If Mirajane had been a snake, she would have bit him.

"Mira," Aero said, flicking his finished cigarette to the ground and smashing it with his boot, "What are you doing here?"

"I think you know exactly why I'm here."

"I didn't do anything wrong," he frowned, "That brat just needs to learn how to listen."

"She's not a brat," Mirajane retorted quickly, "You're the one being a brat."

"What?!" Aero yelled, "The hell I am!"

"Don't use that tone with me," Mirajane scowled at him, "You know what you did was wrong. You wanted Margo to go along with what you wanted and you got mad when you didn't get your way."

"I'm her older brother. She should listen to me."

"You're her brother, not her father. You don't always know what's best. She has to learn certain things on her own."

"Oh, like you did with that Robert guy?" he growled. As soon as he said it, Aero regretted his words. He watched as her face turned sad and rubbed a hand across his face, "Look Mira, I'm sorry."

"No, you're right," Mirajane stated, "I messed up by getting involved with a man like Robert. He ended up being no good, just like you had told me. And you ended up beating him up for what he did," she explained quietly, "But it was something I had to learn on my own. Just like your sister has to learn love on her own. You won't always be able to be there for her. She has to learn how to trust and love people without someone guiding her. She will never know true love if she stays safe. Do you want her to regret things when she's older?"

"No, but…"

"Exactly. Even if Robert was a bad guy in the end, I learned things from that relationship. It made me a smarter person for it and I know what I deserve out of love. Don't take away something like that from Margo."

Aero was quiet for a moment, taking in Mirajane's words. Finally, he sighed before speaking, "I just want her to be happy, ya know. And that Kaiden guy seems nice enough and I like him."

"Your sister will never fall in love with someone you like," Mirajane smiled softly, "She's too stubborn to go along with something like that. She's just like you."

"She's never going to make anything easy for me," he groaned.

"That's how little sisters are supposed to be," Mirajane laughed before a serious look covered her face again, "I honestly hope you don't push the Kaiden issue with her. She was really upset about it. There has to be a reason for her to act out like that. You don't know what that man is really like, but Margo does. I think it would be wise to be at least a little wary of the man."

"I'm not making any promises," he stated, earning a frown from Mirajane, "But if it's for Margo's sake, I'll keep an eye on the man. I still think he's a good guy and I think that she should go out with him, but I won't push it so much with her."

"Thank you, Aero," Mirajane smiled, "Now, how about you take me out for some coffee since you dragged me all the way out here."

"I didn't drag you anywhere," he huffed.

"By storming off the way you did, technically yes you did," she grinned, "Now let's go."

"All right, all right," he said as he stood and lit another cigarette. He then slung an arm across her shoulders, "I don't know what I would do without you Mira."

She laughed before replying, "I don't think anyone in the guild would know what to do."

* * *

**A/N: **There you all go! Hope you all enjoyed that one! I'll have the next one up soon!

Remember to review please!

Yours Truly,

MyDearWatson


	9. Return of the First Date!

**A/N: **CHA! Another chapter posted!

I absolutely loved this one! It's just got so much going on in it. I hope you all love it just as much as I do.

So the italics indicate dreams/flashbacks.

Also, I make mention in here (and in future chapters) that Gajeel is from a dark guild. Phantom Lord is actually listed under a legit guild, plus Jose was also named one of the ten wizard saints at one time. But for the sake of this story, Phantom Lord will have been a dark guild. It could have been a legit one that turned dark (at least that's how I thought it was when I was reading the manga). I just wanted to put this in here as an FYI for you readers.

**OH! I would also like to know if you readers would like a full flashback arc type of thing for when Margo and her brothers were little with Philomela and how they got separated and everything. I would need to know this soon before the Laxus/Fighting Festival arc ends for this story. That way I know if I should write it into the next big arc I have planned for Margo or not.**

I would like to thank Link, Emmatin and fanficFreakShingeki for their reviews!

Link - OMG LOL! I actually did the same thing when I was making the pairings. So you've got the first two right for sure. It will eventually be AeroxMira and MargoxGajeel. I just haven't quite figured out anything for Dante. I was thinking about putting him with Levy, but I'm still not sure on it. I'll have to see how well they work together in the story. HA! Creepy Kaiden! That's awesome! And no, Aero doesn't understand relationship things. I was gonna make it so he hasn't ever been in one, so he's a little stupid in that area, lol. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

Emmatin - Thanks! Glad that you love the story so much! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

fanficFreakShingeki - Glad to hear that you love the story so much! And you're actually in luck with this chapter! You will get to see a little of what Kaiden can do at the end of the chapter and I do mean only a little. The reason I'm taking so long in showing you all what all he can do is because he is trying to get on Margo's good side. He has to stay low in order to do so, but as the story progresses more will be revealed on him. He's actually got some pretty sick moves (if I do say so myself LOL). Trust me, I'm just as excited to see him fight as you. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

I don't own Fairy Tail!

Please enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 9: Return of the First Date!**

_Margo and Zepplin walked through Dahlia Town. Margo adjusted the wooden guitar that was strapped to her back. She checked the money in her pocket, already knowing it would be low. She hoped that this town would be kinder than the last with her music. Her stomach growled loudly and she knew that Zepplin's had to be growling as well. It had been a while since they had a decent meal. It was hard making money without having a guild to belong to and no one wanted to hire a fourteen year old girl and her hound._

"_We need to buy something to eat, Zepplin," she sighed, "We can try to get some money afterwards."_

_Zepplin simply licked her hand in response._

_The town seemed rather busy, but Margo didn't feel at home at all in it. People didn't stop to ask her how she was. They simply continued on with their daily duties._

"_We won't be staying here long," she continued talking to the dog, "It feels lonely and I can smell the ocean close by. I don't like it."_

_The pair headed to a bakery close by, Margo not even taking the time to sniff out the best one. She went in, leaving Zepplin outside. She knew that he wouldn't go anywhere without her. She quickly ordered some fresh bread for both her and Zepplin, paid and left the store. Once outside, she headed for the center of town. When they made it to the center, she took a seat at one of the benches. Margo broke the bread in half and tossed one of the halves to Zepplin. He caught it easily and began chomping down on it. Margo took a few bites before setting it down next to her with a sigh. She suddenly didn't feel very hungry._

_Margo pulled the guitar from her back and began strumming a few chords on it. Once she decided on what she was going to play, she pulled an old hat from her backpack and threw it on the ground in front of her. She began singing a song about mages and the adventures that they went on that she had learned from Philomela. People passing by began to stop at the sound of her voice. They smiled as she continued singing and after a moment or two, they began to throw coins into the hat._

_When Margo was finished with the song, she nodded at the townspeople in thanks and picked up the hat. The people quickly dispersed, except for a young blonde boy. He approached her after a moment or two of staring at her; he had thought she was rather pretty, even if she did let her hair hang in her face._

"_Hey," he finally said, catching her attention, "You're pretty good."_

"_Thanks," she said as she pulled a small piece of bread off of her half._

"_Is that all you're eating?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow._

"_Well, that's a bit rude," Margo huffed, "But it's all I can afford for Zepplin and I."_

"_Zepplin?" he asked._

"_My dog," she answered, pointing down at the black dog next to her._

"_I see," he said, "Well, it would at least be better with some jam, ya know. This town is famous for its berries and what they make from them."_

"_Are the berries sweet?"_

"_Duh," he laughed, "They wouldn't sell so well if they weren't. Tell you what, you share some of that bread with me and I'll share some of the jam I so happen to have with me."_

"_You'd really do that?"_

"_Yeah, so do we have a deal?" he asked, sticking out his hand to shake on it._

"_Sure, ok," Margo grinned. Though, she didn't stick her hand out to shake his. With her feet swinging in midair on the bench, she couldn't feel his movements._

"_Are you gonna shake my hand or what?"_

"_Oh sorry," she frowned and threw her hand out in front of her, practically smacking his arm in the process._

"_What's wrong with you? Don't you know how to shake hands?"_

"_I…um…I can't see," she answered quietly._

"_What?! You're blind?!" he shouted._

"_You don't have to announce it to the entire town," she hissed._

"_Sorry," he said, "I just didn't expect it," he continued, reaching out to push her messy bangs out of her face. Margo quickly pulled away, the sudden contact making her nervous, "Calm down, I'm not gonna hurt you," he said, reaching his hand out again. He was able to push her bangs away this time and revealed dull, gold eyes, "Well shit, you really are blind."_

"_I told you."_

"_You know what you need?" he asked with a smirk, "Some sunglasses."_

"_But I don't even need them. I can't see the sun, stupid."_

"_But you would look so cool," he continued with a smirk, "We'll find you the best pair in town!"_

"_How the heck am I supposed to afford sunglasses?"_

"_I just so happen to be of the musical talent as well. We could play together to raise the money."_

"_Why would you help me?" Margo frowned, turning away from him, "No one ever just stops to help a stranger. I'm sure your family wouldn't approve of it."_

"_I don't have a family," he said quietly._

_Margo's eyes went wide upon hearing his words. She turned back to him, "You don't have anyone?" she asked._

"_No. My parents died when I was little. I lived with my uncle for a little while, but then he died when I was eleven. I'm sixteen now. I've been alone for the past five years."_

"_I'm sorry," Margo frowned, "I lost my family when I was little too. I lived with my foster mother until I was eleven too, but then she disappeared. I was lucky to find Zepplin a year ago."_

"_It seems like we make a pair then," he smiled sadly, "So what do you say? We could sing together, ya know? We'd make more money that way."_

_Margo was quiet for a moment, thinking about the boy's offer. Right now, he was alone and she had no one else except for Zepplin. It would be nice to have someone around. Even if she didn't know him very well, she'd rather be around him than no one._

"_All right. Let's do it."_

"_Great," he grinned, "But we still need to shake on it," he said, grabbing her hand and putting it into his own. He grasped her hand tightly and Margo grasped back and they both shook._

"_The name's Kaiden Nystrom, by the way."_

"_Margo Lennox."_

"_I think this will be a great friendship, Margo."_

**. : + : .**

Margo opened her eyes, feeling her bed under her and Zepplin next to her. She felt the light sheet she had across her and the light breeze coming in from the open balcony door. She could feel the morning sun pass across her skin and she could feel her chest move up and down easily from her breathing. But the oddest thing she felt were the tears streaming down her face.

She hadn't dreamed of meeting Kaiden for the first time in a long time. It brought forth a sorrow that she had forgotten she could feel. He had been so open and honest with her back then. He had been sweet and maybe a little rough around the edges, but that wasn't anything she couldn't handle. He was simply Kaiden back then. No charming ways, no wooing the ladies, no thinking that he was better than anyone else.

Margo continued to let the tears fall as she threw an arm over her face. She just didn't understand what happened to him and now he had suddenly shown back up in her life. What the hell was she supposed to do? She was going out with him today. Would she be able to see the old Kaiden or would he continue being what he was now? She choked out a sob at the thought of what kind of man he had turned into.

The sob was enough to wake Zepplin up. The hound popped his head off the bed and looked up at Margo. He moved closer to her in order to lick her face. He laid his head down on her chest, hoping it would be enough to comfort her.

Margo laid a hand on his head, "Good boy," she said shakily.

The two stayed that way for a while, Margo's tears eventually disappearing. When she felt calm enough, Margo removed her arm from her face and wiped away the tears still on her face.

"That's enough crying over something I can't change, right boy?" she smiled sadly as Zepplin. He barked in reply to her, "All right. Now that, that's over with, how about we get ready for the day."

Margo showered quickly and dressed in her normal clothing of jean shorts and a tank top. As she exited the bathroom, she failed to notice a figure sitting on her bed.

"Good morning, Margo," Mirajane said with a bright smile.

"ACK!" Margo shouted, jumping into the dresser against the wall, "What the hell Mira?! How the hell did you get into my room?!"

"I have a set of the master keys," she laughed, "I didn't mean to scare you. I thought you would be able to sense me here."

"Not this early in the morning without something to wake me up first," she retorted.

"I'm sorry," she laughed again.

"It's all right," Margo said, "I guess I'll just have to be more guarded when coming out of the bathroom."

"Well, this won't be an everyday thing."

"What are you here for?"

"I thought that you might like some help doing your hair today."

"What for? I can't see it and it's not like I'm trying to impress Kaiden."

"I know, but I thought you would still like it," she answered, "And Aero said that he thought you would like it too. He said that it's always messy and that you might like some help fixing it up some."

Margo scowled at the mention of her brother's name.

"I know that you're still mad at him," Mira said, "But he really is just trying to look out for you."

Margo sighed, "I guess it couldn't hurt for a new hairdo, but I'm not doing this because of Aero!"

"Of course not," Mirajane replied, "Now come sit on the bed," she said, patting a spot in front of her.

Margo sat down on the bed, Mirajane sitting behind her Indian style. She already had a brush and some pony tail holders next to her. She began brushing through Margo's hair to get the knots out of it.

"You know," Mirajane began quietly, "You shouldn't be too hard on Aero," she said, laughing a little at Margo's grumbling, "He means well. He just doesn't know how to show it very well."

"Yeah, he shows it by forcing me into a date," Margo huffed, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"He just wants you to be happy. He worries about you a lot," Mirajane stated, "I know you're still adjusting to having a family, but you have to understand that he's adjusting too. He thought he had lost you. You were his baby sister and there's a special place in his heart for you. Now he has you back and he has to learn how to be a big brother again. He just so badly wants to protect you and make sure you stay safe, you know?"

"I know," Margo answered softly, "But something like finding a relationship isn't something I need him for."

"I know that, and that's what I told him last night," Mirajane smiled.

"You told him that?"

"Yes, I don't think it was right of him for doing what he did and someone had to tell him so. You just have to learn some things on your own and one of those things is love."

"You're really smart, you know that Mira? How do you know all this stuff?"

"Thank you," she grinned in response, "I've been through my own relationships. I used to date a man named Robert. He was very nice when I first met him, but I think I started dating him for the wrong reasons and I think that's part of what affected our relationship."

"What happened?"

"Well, I started dating him shortly after I lost someone very important to me. I think I was trying to fill that gap in my heart. He was nice and sweet, but I believe he began to feel only like a replacement after a while. He started to become mean and spiteful. He would go out of his way to make me feel bad. After a particular nasty fight, things ended. I lost a lot of confidence for a while because of the things he used to say, but thanks to Aero, I was able to start to believe in myself again."

"Really? Aero helped you?"

"Yes, he's a good man," she smiled softly. Margo could hear the appreciation and happiness in her voice, "Once you get into his good graces, he'll do anything for you. That's why I think you should forgive him. He will always do anything for you, no matter what happens."

Margo stayed quiet for a moment, thinking of what to say in response, "I guess I can forgive him then," she said quietly, "But he can't do any more of these impromptu dates," she huffed, "I will decide who I go out with from here on out."

"I think that's doable," Mirajane grinned, "Now, how would you like your hair done?"

"I'm not sure, I've never really done anything with it other than leaving it down or throwing it up into a ponytail," Margo shrugged, "You can have free rein if you like, so long as you don't do anything too over the top."

At that moment, Levy walked out of her room and spotted the pair on the bed since Mirajane had left Margo's door opened, "Oh! Are you having a makeover?" Levy asked excitedly after entering the room.

"I'm doing her hair," Mirajane smiled, "She's giving me free rein on it."

"Oh! Can I pick out some clothes for you?" Levy asked.

"I'm not trying to impress Kaiden," Margo said with a flat look.

"Please, please, please," Levy begged.

"I don't even have that many extra clothes," Margo sighed.

"But I do!" Levy grinned, "And my clothes should fit you pretty well, considering you're not as busty as the other woman and your hips are a little wider and curvier. Please let me pick something out for you!"

"Fine," Margo gave in, knowing that the script mage wouldn't leave her alone until she did, "But no dresses!" she shouted when Levy ran out of the room.

"I think you just made her day," Mirajane chuckled.

"I just hope she doesn't overdo it," Margo sighed.

"What's going on in here?" Erza asked, popping her head inside the room, "I heard Levy shouting from down the hall."

"Apparently a makeover," Margo huffed, looking the other direction.

"Hmmm, seems like a good idea for a date," Erza stated.

"I already said that I'm not trying to impress the guy!"

"But that doesn't mean you can't look good," Erza retorted, "I have some jewelry that you could borrow."

"No, I'm not wearing any jewelry."

"Yes you are," Erza said sternly with no room for argument. Margo was beginning to understand why Natsu and Gray listened to the woman so obediently, "I'll be right back."

"Seems like everyone is excited about this," Mirajane grinned, "You'll be a knock out for sure."

"I don't want to be a knock out," Margo mumbled.

"Oh come on," she laughed, "You be able to show off to all the men in the guild. You'll leave them speechless, especially Gajeel," she said, singing the last part of her sentence.

Margo started coughing out of shock, "What?!" Margo shouted.

"I think you like him," Mirajane laughed.

"I don't like him! He's super annoying and I just want to smack him half the time!"

"But he makes you smile."

"No, he makes me frustrated," Margo retorted, "Why are you happy about the idea of him liking me? Aren't you upset with him like everyone else?"

"I'm not happy about what he did," Mirajane answered honestly, "But I think he just needs a little push in the right direction. I think you could be that push."

Margo went quiet again for a moment, "He has helped me out a few times and it is fun teasing him," she admitted, Mirajane chuckling at her, "But I still say he's super annoying!" she announced upon hearing her laughter.

"I found an outfit!" Levy exclaimed, running back into the room and ending the conversation between Mirajane and Margo. She came in carrying a pair of white shorts and a dark blue tank top that was worn loosely and made out of chiffon. She was also carrying a pair of white flats that she figured would fit Margo, "And it's not a dress. I promise!"

"I found some jewelry for you to borrow," Erza said, walking into the room. She was carrying a simple, silver bracelet and a simple silver necklace with a sapphire teardrop on the end of it.

"So pretty," Levy said, staring at the necklace.

The girls made quick work of getting Margo ready. Mirajane braided her hair into pigtails and then tied the tails together into a ponytail with a black hair tie that had a skull on it. It was a little something from her past clothing style. She changed into the clothes given to her, the outfit suiting her perfectly. She then stepped into the flats and put the jewelry on.

"You look amazing, Mar-chan!" Levy grinned.

"We did a good job," Erza commented.

Mirajane stepped up to her, spraying her with a light perfume, "You'll really knock _him_ out," she whispered with a smile, Margo knowing that she wasn't talking about Kaiden.

Margo was quiet for a moment, feeling the braiding job Mirajane had done. Her bangs were styled nicely; still covering her forehead, but not completely hanging in her eyes. She grabbed her sunglasses and hung the stem on the front of her tank top, deciding to keep them off for now.

"Let's head to the guild," Levy said, "I'm sure Kaiden will be there soon. Plus, we have some things to do to get ready for the parade in a couple of days."

The three women turned to move out of the room, but Margo stopped them, "Um…I want to thank you guys for helping me out. I never really had any girlfriends, so I'm sorry if I gave you a hard time about the makeover; but I really do appreciate it," she said, looking to floor.

"We're happy to help," Mirajane said softly, "I hope you know that you can come to us any time for anything."

"Yes, we're nakama now," Erza smiled, "We look out for each other."

"We'll always be friends," Levy smiled, grabbing onto Margo's arm, "You don't have to worry about being alone anymore."

Margo began to tear up a little, but managed to hold them back from falling as she hugged Levy tightly, "All right, let's go," she smiled.

**. : + : .**

The group of girls walked together to the gild. Mirajane and Erza walked in front with Levy, Margo and Zepplin walking a little behind them. They talked about the upcoming parade and what all was going on with it. When they approached the guild doors, they could hear that everyone was in rare form. It sounded like most of the men were already arguing with each other. Every now and then, they would hear Lucy and Cana yell at them to calm down. The group laughed out loud when they heard Lucy scream Natsu's name quickly followed by a scream of Happy's name.

"Well time to show you off," Mirajane grinned, pushing the doors open.

"I wish you wouldn't put it that way, Mira," Margo sighed as the group walked into the guild.

"But we worked so hard," Mirajane pouted.

"Well if anyone asks, I'll give you all credit for it," Margo said, hoping that would cheer the woman up.

Mirajane smiled in response and that was when the entire group noticed how quiet it had become in the guild. The three women that could see everyone staring at them and Margo sensed all the eyes on them. She inwardly sighed, knowing that this was part of the reason that she didn't want to get dressed up.

Finally, one of the men whistled, breaking the tension in the room.

"Looks like you clean up nicely," Gray smirked.

"Whatever," Margo said, walking passed him and up to the bar with Mirajane. She needed a drink before going out.

Happy flew up and attached himself to her chest, "You're pretty today, Margo, even if you don't have a big chest."

Margo's eye twitched in irritation as she pulled the flying cat off of her, "Keep up those kinds of comments and I'm gonna feed you to Zepplin."

"Waaaaah!" Happy cried, "And all I did was compliment you."

Margo simply rolled her eyes and sat the cat on the bar top, "Mira, a beer please and a fish to shut the cat up."

"Of course," Mirajane smiled along with Happy.

Margo suddenly felt two looming figures behind her and instantly knew who they were, "All right, let's get this over with," she sighed as she turned around on her stool.

"You look so cute!" Dante shouted, picking Margo up and hugging her tightly.

"Thanks Dante," Margo managed to say against the tightness of his hug before he sat her back on the stool.

Margo then turned towards Aero and crossed her arms, sending him a glare. Even if she had promised Mirajane that she would forgive him, she was still mad; and she decided she would show that anger until he apologized to her.

Aero stood there silently, just as stubborn as his sister. He knew he had to apologize, but he wanted to hold out as long as he could. Finally, he couldn't take the silence anymore, "Tch, this is ridiculous. I'm sorry, you troublesome girl."

"You even suck at apologies," Margo stated bluntly, causing a few of the guild members to laugh, "But I forgive you."

"Good," he smirked, "It's surprising to see a girl underneath all that attitude and temper."

"Are you trying to piss me off again?!" Margo shouted, smacking him upside the head.

"I told you, you should let Mira and the girls help you out," he continued smirking while rubbing his head, "You should let them do this all the time. You look pretty."

Margo blushed faintly, "This is a one-time thing," she huffed, "I can't kick ass in these shoes," she said, sticking her right foot out to show off the white flats she wore, "Besides, it was hard to say no to all three of them," she finished, motioning over to Mirajane, Erza and Levy.

"Thanks for helping out ladies," Aero smirked at them. They nodded at him before he turned a serious face to Margo, "You know you don't really have to go if you don't want to if it's going to make you uncomfortable."

"Yeah, it probably is going be uncomfortable," Margo said, "But I'm still going. I have some things I need to ask Kaiden."

"All right," Aero replied, "Are you going to take Zepplin with you?" he asked, looking down at said dog.

"I want to, but it would probably be better not to," she answered, receiving a whine from Zepplin. She rubbed his head while she continued, "I need to make sure I can get as many answers from Kaiden as possible and I'm afraid that Zepplin will scare him off."

"So are you just going to leave him here?" Dante asked.

"Yes, I was hoping you guys would watch him."

"Of course!" Dante smiled, picking the dog up around his stomach. Zepplin's front legs stuck straight out while staring at Margo with an unamused look.

"Uh, Dante," Aero began, "I wouldn't hold him like that."

"Why?"

'CHOMP'

"OW!" Dante shouted, waving his left arm around in pain. Zepplin kept his teeth chomped down on his arm as he was thrown back and forth.

"Serves you right," both Margo and Aero said flatly while everyone else sweat dropped at the scene.

Finally, Zepplin let go and jumped to the ground with an annoyed huff. He then trotted off towards the back of the guild. He quickly plopped himself down in front of Gajeel who sat at a table alone, eating a few pieces of iron. Gajeel stopped mid-chew to look down at the dog who decided to join him. He quirked an eyebrow at him before looking over to Margo for an answer.

Margo jumped off of her stool, feeling Zepplin over by Gajeel in the vibrations of her jump. She walked over to Gajeel, looking down to Zepplin for a moment before turning her attention on the Iron Dragon Slayer, "Uh, you don't mind, do you?"

Gajeel swallowed the metal he was eating, "Why do I have to take care of your damn dog?"

Margo twitched at his question, but did her best to keep her temper from getting the best of her, "Because it looks like he likes you enough to stay with you. He obviously doesn't want to be around my brothers right now. You don't have to do much other than keep an eye on him. He may follow you around though."

"Tch," he replied, "I guess so, so long as he doesn't cause any problems," he said, earning another annoyed huff from Zepplin.

"He won't. I promise," she answered, "I'll even buy you a little something for your troubles."

"It better be something other than those damn muffins," he grumbled as he took another bite out of the metal he had been eating.

"I'll see what I can do," she said, "I'm assuming you like metal?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

"Nothing. Just asking is all," she grinned, "Thanks for your help."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

Margo then bent down to pet Zepplin again, "You be good, all right," she said, earning another huff from the dog, "Don't give me that attitude. I'll be back soon."

Before she could say anything else to comfort the hellhound, the doors to the guild opened up. Kaiden walked in with an easy smile, dressed in his normal attire with his cane attached to his hip. He walked up to the bar, not having seen Margo off to the side yet.

"Good afternoon," he said smoothly, bowing slightly at Mirajane.

"Afternoon," Mirajane answered, smiling in return.

"Is Margo here yet?"

"We would like to have a word with you before you go off with her," Aero said as he and Dante circled in on the blonde man.

"What can I do for the two of you?" Kaiden asked, his smile never faltering.

"It's about Margo," Dante answered.

"I see," Kaiden said, "If you're worried about her going out with me, don't be. I'll take good care of her. Promise. And I'll have her back before curfew since you seem to have such a tight grip on the _grown_ woman," he explained, his tone polite, yet condescending.

The brothers stayed quite for a moment, not quite sure how to take his words.

"Good to hear," Aero said.

"But if you do anything to hurt her, you'll have to answer to us," Dante scowled down at him, still not fully trusting the man.

"I'm sure I will," Kaiden stated calmly, "Now, is she here or not?"

Margo listened to the exchange carefully, hearing Kaiden's condescending tone and how he seemed unafraid of her brothers. She could handle her brothers easily, but she knew that they could be intimidating when they wanted to be; yet Kaiden didn't seem at all fazed by them. That worried her slightly. He should be at least a little nervous by the two men. Had he become that powerful over the past two years since they had separated?

Margo quickly shook the thoughts from her head, finally answering Kaiden's question, "I'm here," she announced as she walked up to the small group. She pushed her brothers aside in order to stand in front of Kaiden.

"Oh my," he stated with a grin, "You didn't have to get all dolled up for me, Sugar-chan, but I'm glad you did," he said, lifting her hand to kiss it.

Margo pulled her hand away before he could kiss it, not at all comfortable with his actions, "Can we just go?"

"Sorry," he apologized, "I didn't mean to be so forward, but your beauty always takes my breath away."

Margo inwardly gagged at the comment, but kept a straight face as she repeated her question, "Can we please just go?"

"Of course," he said, holding his arm out for her to take.

Margo walked passed him, simply stating, "I don't need an escort."

Kaiden stayed quiet as he nodded his goodbyes to Aero, Dante and Mirajane.

Gajeel and Zepplin stared the man down as he walked out of the guild. For one brief second, Gajeel and Kaiden made eye contact. Kaiden gave him a knowing smirk, noticing how Gajeel's eyes switched from him to Margo and back. It was a look that read 'I've got her and you don't'. With that, Kaiden turned away from Gajeel and headed out the door.

Gajeel wanted nothing more than to punch the blonde's lights out. He couldn't believe that the man had enough guts to look at him the way he did, as if he cared that Margo was going out with him. It wasn't any of his business who Margo went out with; and yet, there was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind. He didn't like that Kaiden guy at all. He didn't understand why Margo was even wasting her time with him when she could be having singing lessons with him.

That annoying smirk kept popping up into his head until he finally couldn't take it anymore. He threw the hunk of metal he was eating down on the table with a loud thump, earing several stares from the guild members. He quickly stood and looked down at Zepplin, "Come on dog. We're leaving," he said lowly and headed for the guild doors, Zepplin keeping close to him.

Mirajane smirked as she watched Gajeel leave, his actions giving her all the proof that she needed. She knew that the iron dragon was creating a bond with Margo, but he just didn't realize it yet. And it seemed to be the same for Margo if she trusted him enough to take care of Zepplin. Her smirk widened as little plans of matchmaking quickly began to take root in her mind.

"What the hell is that look for, Mira?" Aero asked, taking Margo's untouched beer for himself.

"Nothing," she answered in a sing-song voice.

Aero groaned at her answer, knowing that she was up to no good; but damn it if she didn't look good with that little, mischievous grin.

**. : + : .**

"So where are we going?" Margo asked, not actually caring where they were going.

"You'll see," Kaiden grinned, walking closer to her than what was necessary.

Margo sighed, not really sure if she would like what he had planned.

'No,' she thought, 'I know I won't like what he has planned. I should have just cancelled with him, but I need some answers.'

"You can slow down, you know," Kaiden said, interrupting her thoughts.

Margo had been power walking without even realizing it. She instantly stopped and waited for Kaiden to take a few strides to catch up with her, "Sorry, I was lost in thought."

"Obviously," he replied, "You don't even know where we're going."

"I would if you would just tell me."

"But where's the fun in that?" he asked with a smirk, "Now, come on," he said, grabbing her hand to get her moving again. Margo moved to pull her hand away again, but Kaiden kept a tight grip on it, "Does it bother you so much when I touch you?" he frowned.

"Yes," she answered honestly.

"I see," he said quietly, "Well, I guess I'll have to get you used to it again. I used to be able to give you hugs without you so much as flinching away."

"That was a long time ago, Kaiden," Margo retorted, "A lot has happened since then."

"It wasn't all that long ago, Sugar-chan."

"Stop calling me that," she snapped.

"Why? That's my name for you. Unless you don't like sweets anymore."

"That's not it," Margo answered, "It's just that, the old Kaiden gave me that name. You aren't that Kaiden anymore."

"But I'm still Kaiden," he said in an even tone, "And you can't forget me so easily."

Margo stayed silent after that. He was right. She couldn't forget him easily and she would probably never forget him. Though, what bothered her the most about his comment was his tone of voice. He was so serious, and yet, there was a sadness in his voice. Almost as if he was trying to tell himself the same thing. Margo sighed as she let him lead her to their destination.

After a long and uncomfortable silence, the two came upon a restaurant at the edge of town. It faced the ocean, having an open patio looking out over a cliff. They walked in and Kaiden gave the host his name. Apparently, he had stopped the day before to make reservations. The host grabbed two menus and led them to a table in the open patio. It was then that Margo noticed that no one was outside with them.

"Why aren't there any other people out here with us?" Margo asked, raising an eyebrow at Kaiden.

"I made it so it could just be us out here," he grinned.

"I thought this was just for old time's sake?" she continued her questioning, still standing beside the table. The host had disappeared by this time, having gone to fetch the waiter.

"It is," Kaiden answered, "But I thought it would be better if we had some privacy."

"Sure," she said, still feeling skeptical about the situation.

Kaiden rolled his eyes and moved towards her, "Stop being so suspicious of me and just sit down already, Margo," he said, pushing her towards her chair, "Geez, you're still the annoying girl I knew."

"Well, I wish I could say the same for you," she retorted, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"I haven't changed all that much."

"Psh, yeah right," she huffed, "What's with all this prince charming crap? And how my beauty takes your breath away? You're gonna make me throw up from all that fluffy, romantic shit."

"I've just matured. People change, you know."

"I know, but it's like you did a complete 180," she said, "And then there's…"

"There's what?"

"Nothing," she answered, not wanting to open up all her thoughts to him. His new, charming ways wouldn't bother her so much if there wasn't an underlying feeling of suspicion to him. Towards the end of their relationship, Margo felt like he was sneaking around and lying to her. She couldn't shake the feeling that he was doing the same to her now. He was such a smooth talker, that he could make the best manipulating man weep. There was so much that she didn't know about him, especially the guild he had joined shortly before they separated. That guild had been the main reason Kaiden had changed and it had been the main reason that Margo ended things with him. She never got a good feeling from it and that's why she refused his request to join it with him and why she completely left the town they had been living in together.

Before either one of them could say anything further on the topic of conversation, the waiter came out to take their drink orders. Kaiden ordered a bottle of wine for the both of them and asked the waiter to give them some time to figure out what they wanted to eat.

Kaiden started reading off the menu items, falling into their old routine whenever they went out together when they were younger. Margo stopped him when he read off mango chicken. She hopped the sweet dish would make her feel better, though part of her would feel better at just having stopped at a cheap restaurant more than the fancy place Kaiden had brought her. She also hopped that he didn't honestly think this was a true date.

Kaiden quickly made his choice as well and folded the menu back up until the waiter came back, "So," he began, "What have you been doing these past two years?"

"Traveling mostly," she answered, glad to be on a different subject for now, "Zepplin and I were looking for a guild to join when we came to Fairy Tail. I'm glad that we eventually ended up there. I found my brothers that way and I really like the guild. Zepplin likes it too."

"Good to hear," Kaiden smiled, "I know you've been wanting to join a guild for a long time. I still wish you would have joined one with me."

"Well, maybe you should have chosen a different guild then."

"Maybe," he said quietly.

The waiter appeared again, setting their drink down on the table and quickly taking their orders before disappearing again.

"What was the guild called that you joined again?"

"Fallen Angel," he answered.

"I've never heard of it other than from you. Is it not a popular guild?"

"Our master doesn't like to make a lot of public commotion, so we mainly stay under the radar," Kaiden explained, his smooth voice seeming to hide something. Margo knew he wasn't telling her everything, "But it's a good guild and I get good missions."

"Still, you have to have some sort of publicity or else other mages won't join," Margo said.

"Trust me, we have enough guild members," Kaiden said, "Maybe not as many as Fairy Tail, but it's definitely enough."

Margo nodded at him in response, "Are you going to be heading back to the guild after the parade?"

"Maybe."

"You said you've been on a bit of a vacation for a while. Don't you have to get back soon? I'm sure you need to make some money soon with a new mission."

"I'm not worried. I've saved quite a bit over the past couple of years. I don't think I'll be running out any time soon," he grinned, "Plus, I'd like to spend some more time with you. It's just been so long, you know?"

"Well, I can't guarantee that you'll get to see me all that much. I have to go on missions myself. Unlike you, I have to work to make money right now."

"That's all right. It'll give me some time to get to know the town and the other guild members," he said, "They're all quite interesting."

"Trust me, I know," she said, finally cracking a smile, "But they're good people."

"There's a smile!" Kaiden announced, "I was beginning to wonder if you forgot how to smile. You always looked better with one."

Margo blushed faintly, not expecting him to pull out a comment like that.

"I did miss you, Sugar-chan," Kaiden smiled softly and it was the first thing he had said with honesty since he revealed himself to Margo.

"I…I…" she stuttered, not being able to get the words out.

His hand gently covered hers, "It's all right Margo. You don't have to say anything."

Her hand moved over his as memories of how things used to be between them flooded her mind, "I missed you too," she whispered, hoping that the old Kaiden would hear the sadness and honesty in her voice. She didn't just miss him from the past two years, she had missed him even before they separated. She missed the man she had fallen for. She was sure that he was buried somewhere deep down in his heart, but she was also sure that she wouldn't be able to dig him out. She didn't have the strength to do that, not anymore anyways.

Her voice seemed to shiver all the way down his spine, Kaiden feeling guilty for a brief moment over everything that had happened. His hand tightened over hers for an instant before he pulled away. He clenched his teeth tightly and squeezed hiss eyes shut. He had to keep his composure. He couldn't afford to break down now, not when he had a job to do.

Soon, their food was brought out and their conversation turned to lighter subjects; such as favorite music and past missions that they could talk about. Every now and then they would reminisce on a funny story of when they were together, but they never ventured into deeper territory.

Even if it seemed that her mood had changed, Margo didn't touch much of her food. The man in front of her made her feel uneasy still and it made her stomach feel queasy. She was afraid that if she ate too much, she would just puke it back up. Honestly, she'd rather just be having a beer and a bowl of ramen at either the guild or one of the open stands in the park.

Margo heard Kaiden lay his fork down and take a sip of wine. She inwardly smirked, knowing that their "date" was coming to an end. She wanted to get back to the guild as soon as she could. She wanted to be around people that she trusted and people that didn't make her feel so uneasy.

Kaiden suddenly snapped his fingers, bringing her out of her thoughts. Soon music began to pour into the patio from a small band off to the side. It was soft and soothing, relaxing Margo's nerves a little.

"What's going on?" Margo asked.

"I thought it would be nice to have some music," Kaiden grinned, standing from his seat, "You still like to dance, right?"

"Yes, but I don't know if now is a good time for that."

"Oh, stop trying to push away from things. It's just a dance," he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her up from her seat. He guided her over to a little open area of the patio. Margo practically buckled over from the large gust of ocean breeze that hit her face, but Kaiden managed to keep her standing, "I'm sorry, I should have chosen a place away from the water. I forgot how much you dislike it."

Margo didn't say anything and instead opted to focus on something other than the salty water smell. She began to feel Kaiden sway her back and forth to the rhythm of the music and she began to fade out of the moment. She began to remember all the times he danced with her when they were younger. The way he would hold her closely and gently. The way he would whisper sweet nothings into her ear and the way she used to smile when he did so.

**. : + : .**

"_We'll always have each other, Sugar-chan," Kaiden whispered sweetly into her ear. _

_It had been eight months since the two had found each other and they had been inseparable ever since. Kaiden could be a little rowdy, but Margo didn't mind that so much; not when he could put up with her short temper. He always looked out for her and he always made sure they had enough money to survive, Zepplin included. They passed their time by traveling from town to town, playing and singing songs to earn the money they needed._

_Margo had eventually revealed that she was a Dragon Slayer and without any doubt, Kaiden believed her. It was hard not to when she talked about Philomela the way she did. Kaiden had wanted to be a mage as well, that way they could join a guild together and make some real money. Though, he hadn't found a magic to suit him yet. For now though, he was happy with what they had. They had happiness and each other and it was more than Kaiden had ever had in his life. He honestly couldn't ask for more._

_He had planned a night picnic for the two that night in order to celebrate their last night in the town they had been in for the past month. They had made some pretty good money there, the townspeople truly enjoying their music. It was time to move on though, they needed a change of scenery; so he wanted to do something special for her before they left._

_Kaiden laid out a red and white checkered blanket with a wicker basket full of food on top of it. He had it set up on top of a cliff that over looked the town and he had waited until night time in order to have some privacy. The moon shone brightly across the grass they danced on, a little radio playing music in the background._

"_You're the best, Kaiden," she said, laughing when he spun her around and dipped her._

"_Of course I am," he smirked, his tone full of playful arrogance. He brought her back up onto her feet and pulled her against him. _

_She smiled softly and laid her head against his chest, "You promise that we'll always have each other?"_

"_Always," he answered, "You can't function properly without me," he snorted in laughter._

"_Like you're any better," she retorted, playfully punching him in the arm._

"_Yeah right," he grinned before his toned softened, "I'll always protect you and I always make sure you're never alone again," he said, wrapping his arms around her. She smiled as she hid her face in his chest, her hands grasping the back of his t-shirt tightly._

"_You'll never be alone either," she whispered, causing his grip on her to tighten._

**. : + : .**

Margo faded back into reality, feeling her hands grasping the back of his vest tightly. Her head quickly popped up off Kaiden's chest, Margo cursing herself for getting caught up in her memories. She shoved away from Kaiden, the man donning a surprised look.

"Margo?" he asked softly.

"I can't," she said, her voice shaky, "I just can't do this. Thank you for dinner and for the dance, but I can't do this anymore."

"But you were just fine a moment ago," Kaiden said, trying to salvage what they just had, "What happened?"

"What happened was that you lied to me," Margo answered harshly. She then promptly turned on her heels and ran towards the other end of the patio. She had jumped over the black railing and was running down the dirt road before Kaiden could catch her.

"Dammit," he cursed, watching her disappear towards Fairy Tail.

**. : + : .**

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," Margo repeated quickly, rubbing her eyes with the backs of her hands as she ran down the street. She was hoping that if she rubbed enough, it wouldn't show the tears that were threatening to fall, "I can't believe I did that!"

She kept on running, not paying attention to where she was going. She also missed the two dark figures that were chasing her down on the rooftops of the apartment buildings. The figures sped up just enough and jumped from the rooftop they were on, landing a few feet in front of Margo. Margo then slammed into the taller figure, the force of the collision sending her back a step or two.

Margo's head snapped up, forgetting about hiding her tears for the moment. There was silence between all three people and a smell hit Margo's nose first before the vibrations of who the person was. It was the smell of stone again, the same one that made her think of stability and safety and the same one she had smelled in the middle of town earlier in the week. She hadn't put any real thought back then to who the smell belonged to and now she wish she had paid better attention.

"Siren," a deep voice grunted out.

Margo's eyes went wide upon hearing Gajeel's voice. She had always assumed that he would smell like iron and not stone. Iron was more metallic scented and she could smell it on him, it would be surprising if she didn't; but the stone, earth-like scent was definitely coming from him. It reminded her of the forest and mountains she used to call home with Philomela. Her tears finally started to pour over and Margo cursed herself again. She had been crying so much lately and she hated herself for it. She hated to cry in front of people. She didn't want to look weak. She felt like she was such a mess in that moment and she couldn't stop her anger from lashing out.

"What do you want?" she snapped, moving to walk around him.

Gajeel grabbed her arm tightly and turned her back around, "Your boy isn't who he says he is."

"He's not my boy!" she yelled, trying to wring her arm free; but Gajeel kept a tight hold of it, "And how the hell do you know what we were talking about?!" she asked as realization suddenly dawned on her. She glared at the iron dragon, "You were there watching and listening the whole time!" she shouted.

"I don't know why you're yelling at me," he growled, "I'm not the one lying to you."

"Because there's no one else to yell at!" she shouted the first thing that came to mind, "Now, let me go!"

"Not until you listen to me," he said in a hard tone, leaving no room for argument.

Margo stayed silent, puffing her cheeks out in irritation while she was turned away from Gajeel.

"Like I said," he began when it was obvious that she wasn't going to say anything else, "That boy of yours isn't who he says he is. That guild of his, Fallen Angel, it's a dark guild."

"How the hell do you know that?" she snapped, not wanting to believe him. Even if Kaiden had changed over the years, she didn't want to believe it was because he joined a dark guild. Kaiden was many things, but he wasn't evil.

"Because, stupid, I used to be part of a dark guild," he retorted, "And as part of one, you learn about all the other dark guilds in the process. Fallen Angel may not be publicly known like Oracion Seis or Grimoire Heart, but it is known in the dark guild world. They're known to have some of the top assassins and that's why they're probably unknown to the rest of the world."

"I just…I can't believe it," she said, shaking her head.

"And why not?" he asked gruffly, "I don't have a reason to lie to you while that Kaiden guy would have several reasons to. I don't care that you have past with him. I'm telling you the truth."

Margo was quiet for a long time. She wanted so badly to believe that Gajeel was wrong, but what he said made sense. What reason did Gajeel have to lie to her about something like this? And she did say she would choose to trust him until he proved her otherwise. And she was still suspicious of Kaiden, regardless of what their past was like.

"Fuck!" she cursed again, running her free hand through her bangs, "Don't tell anyone at the guild about this. I don't want to start something if I don't have the facts to back it up."

"Like anyone would believe me if I did tell them," he snorted in reply.

A silence passed them again, one long enough to reveal Margo's growling stomach. Not eating anything at the restaurant was starting to catch up to her.

Gajeel rolled his eyes in response, "Come on woman," he said pulling on her arm.

"Where are we going?" she asked as she rubbed the top of Zepplin's head, finding comfort in the hellhound's presence.

"To get you something to eat," he grunted in reply, "I don't need the barmaid reprimanding me for bringing you back with an empty stomach."

"Mira knows you're out here?"

"I'm sure the nosey woman watched me leave earlier."

"Can we get ramen from that stand in the park?" she asked, her mood lighting up greatly and a childlike look on her face.

"Well you're easily satisfied," he smirked.

"It's easy and cheap and good," she grinned, "What's not to like?"

"I guess," he replied, still dragging her along.

Margo smiled widely and hummed happily, temporarily forgetting about everything with the prospect of ramen in her near future. She knew that her worries and fears would eventually come back, but at the moment she was happy to let the iron dragon drag her down the street for now.

**. : + : .**

Kaiden wore a frown the entire walk back to the hotel he had been staying at while in Magnolia. He could vaguely hear woman calling out to him, but he ignored every single one of them. None of them could compare to the woman that had plagued his mind for the past two years.

He thought things had been going well during their time together that day. Kaiden knew that Margo would be at least a little suspicious of him. He would have been surprised if she wasn't. He decided to answer her questions to the best of his ability, she deserved at least that much. He thought that by answering her questions, Margo would start to relax some, but it only seemed to put her on edge more. He had been glad to see that the music and dancing had calmed her some and he began to think that things might be okay. Though, Kaiden knew his luck was never that good. Once Margo realized what was going on, she took off. Had Kaiden truly lost her?

He shook the thoughts from his head as he entered the hotel. He nodded to the person behind the front desk as he headed for the stairs. He walked towards the end of the hallway, disappearing into the last door on the right.

He sighed heavily as he took his cane and laid it against the wall and then took his leather belt off, laying it on the wooden desk in the room. Before he could do anything else, a darkness began to fill the room. He sighed again, knowing what was going on.

"Kaiden," a woman's voice called out, a figure shrouded in shadows appearing in the room. It had a woman's figure and stood in front of the window of the room.

"Master," Kaiden answered, bowing his head.

"You're wasting time, Kaiden," she said, her voice even.

"I'm sorry, master," he replied, "But I wanted to…"

"I don't care," she cut him off, "You aren't here to reminisce with an old friend or try to ignite an old flame with someone."

"I'm just trying to get close to Margo Lennox in order to complete my job successfully," he said in a serious tone.

"I truly hope that's all you're doing," she stated, "Because she is part of Fairy Tail and your job is to take down the guild, her included. There's no need for you to mix your emotions in this job, understand?"

"Yes, master."

"Good," she said, "Do not fail me in this Kaiden."

"I won't."

The figure stood a moment longer in the room before finally disappearing. Kaiden then stood up and let out the breath he had been holding in. He moved over to the window the figure had just been standing in front of and opened it up. He pulled out a picture that he always kept in his back pocket and stared down at it.

It was one of him, Margo and Zepplin from three years ago. He had been seventeen and Margo was fifteen. They were both smiling widely while Zepplin had his tongue stuck out. She had her arms hugged around his torso while he had an arm slung around her shoulders. It had been the only picture the small group had ever taken and it was something that Kaiden treasured more than anything.

He stood at the open window with all the intentions of letting the summer breeze carry it away. As his master said, he had a job to do. If he let himself hang onto the past he had with Margo, it wouldn't be completed the way it needed to be done. He was to take down Fairy Tail, every member included. If he was to cling to the past, he may not be able to kill off everyone.

But…he just couldn't bring himself to let go of that picture. If he did, then he truly was the monster that Margo thought him to be. He quickly shoved the picture back into his pocket.

"Dammit Margo," he growled out, punching the wall next to window. Blood began to trickle down the dark wood, the force of the hit cutting into his skin. He stared at the blood for a long moment before pulling his hand away. Instead of hitting the floor, the drips that rolled off of his hand floated in midair. The blood on the wall was also pulled to float in the air. Kaiden flicked his good hand, creating a hardened Fairy Tail symbol out of it. He held it in the palm of his uncut hand, "You have no idea what's coming," he said lowly before crushing the symbol in his hand.

* * *

**A/N: **Well, there you go! Hope you all enjoyed it. It was definitely one of my longer chapters!

The next one will be up soon!

Remember to review please!

Yours Truly,

MyDearWatson


	10. What Betting Leads To

**A/N: **Whooooo! Another chapter!

So this chapter turned out a little different than I originally planned, but that's okay! I think my mind subconsciously wanted to do another cute chapter before getting into the fighting scenes of the 'Fighting Festival' arc. I really loved how it turned out and I hope you all feel the same!

I would like to thank Link, Niwen, MusicOfMadness, emo steve and Emmatin for their reviews!

Link - Yeah, I figured the blood magic would work really well for him. Plus, I have some awesome things planned with it! I have a feeling that you'll really like this chapter since the main characters used in it are Margo and Gajeel. ^.^ And I think I will put that full flashback in, so I'm glad to hear that you agree. You shouldn't have to worry about this story ending too soon. I have it planned out to the Grand Magic Games so far! And it's good to hear that Dante and Levy could work out as a couple. I was worrying about that. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Niwen - ^.^ Glad to hear I could make your day better! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

MusicOfMadness - Things with Kaiden will be revealed in time. I'm glad to hear that you're so interested in finding out about him and the things he has planned! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

emo steve - LOL! Glad to hear that things with Kaiden's character are working out so well. And I'm really happy to hear that you like Margo and Gajeel together. It makes me happy to know that they are working out so well! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Emmatin - Awww! I'm glad that you love the story so much! ^.^ And about Gajeel smelling like stone - So Margo can definitely smell iron on him, I mean it would be weird if she didn't. But I wanted to give him a smell that reminded her of home and of Philomela. I always pictured Gajeel living in the forest as well with Metalicana and sleeping in caves and with Margo finding stability in stone I just thought it would work out. It's not that he rolls around in stones or anything (LOL! I just pictured that!) I just thought it would be good if, to Margo, he smelled like something that reminded her of home.

I don't own Fairy Tail!

Please enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 10: What Betting Leads To**

"No, I'm not doing it," Margo stated with a growl.

She sat at a table with Zepplin sitting next to her. She glared at her Aero from underneath her sunglasses. Aero sat across from her, giving her his own hard stare; though he didn't come off as intimidating since she couldn't see him. She had started off that morning feeling comfortable in her usual clothes and heavy boots and her hair up in its usual messy ponytail. She was a little excited about the festival and parade that would be going on that day, but now she sat staring at her brother in irritation.

"You should just do the 'Miss Fairy Tail' contest," Gray said as he came over to join them in order to ease the tension. He sat down next to Margo, "The winner gets 500,000 jewels."

"I said no," she said, puffing out her cheeks in annoyance.

"Why not?" Aero asked.

"Because contests like that just aren't my thing. Besides, what do you expect me to do to show off?"

"Use your magic," Gray answered.

"To do what?"

Before he could answer, Cana called out playfully to him, "Gray, your clothes!"

Gray looked down at himself to see that he was only dressed in a pair of blue boxers, "Damn this bad habit!" he shouted right before Margo smacked him upside the head.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to sit next to me without your clothes?" she growled.

"It's not like you can see it," he retorted, "It's really too bad you can't though. You'd like what you see."

'WHAM'

Gray was sent flying backwards from Margo's kick. A vein throbbed on her forehead as she sat back down at the table. Aero stared at her in shock, slowly scooting away from the table.

"Gray-sama!" Juvia shouted, running over to him, "Juvia is here. Is Gray-sama all right?"

Gray quickly stood up, pointing an accusing finger at Margo, "That was unnecessary!"

"And unclothing yourself is unnecessary!" Margo shouted back.

"I bet you couldn't win that contest even if you tried!" he yelled back, appearing right next to Margo again, "You definitely ain't woman enough to win it!" he added, pushing his face into hers.

"Is that a challenge?!" she shouted, pushing back.

"And what if it is?"

"Then I'd say, you have yourself a bet!"

"Fine," Gray said, "If you don't win the contest, then you have to do whatever I say for the next week."

"All right," Margo replied, "And if I win the contest, which I will, you have to serve me and all the other girls at Fairy Hills for the next week."

"Deal!" Gray said.

The two shook hands on the bet, causing the women of Fairy Hills to exchange knowing smiles with one another. They knew who would be winning the contest right then and there.

"Gray-sama would have to serve Juvia for a week?" Juvia asked as hearts filled her eyes, "It's Juvia's dream come true!" she cried, latching onto Gray.

"Margo hasn't even won yet woman!" Gray yelled, "Get off of me!" he shouted, trying to push Juvia off of him.

The entire guild laughed at the scene.

Margo smirked as she stood from the table, "Let's go, Zepplin," she said, the black hound following her.

"Where are you going?" Aero asked.

"Don't worry," she answered, waving to Aero as she walked out the guild doors, "I'll be back before the contest."

Margo hummed lightly as she and Zepplin began making their way back to Fairy Hills. She was going to ask Levy to borrow some of her clothes again. She hoped the script mage would be willing to do so for the contest, seeing on how they would be competing against each other. If she did win, that money could go towards a lot of things, especially new clothes. Not that she didn't like her usual attire, but she would need to get new tank tops and jeans soon before the ones she had became worn out. Maybe Levy would be nice enough to go shopping with her or even Mirajane or Erza. She had come to like the three girls well enough and shopping was not her strong suit since she couldn't see what any of the clothes looked like.

Margo sighed as she pulled at her tank top, part of her wishing she could see the color of it. It would be nice to see what things looked like for once instead of how they felt. She could barely remember what her own reflection looked like; and when she could remember, it was only her four year old self. She had no idea what she looked like now, other than what her hands against her face could tell her.

She shook the thoughts away quickly, locking them up with all the other things she didn't want to think about. She had been lucky enough to not have to see Kaiden for the past two days since their "date", but that worried her a little. He had been so persistent to see her when he first arrived in Magnolia that it seemed strange for him to not show up suddenly. Though, she was sure that she would run into him at some point that day. He had said that he wanted to stay to see the festival and the parade. She just hoped he would leave after that.

Zepplin's wet nose suddenly brought her back to reality and she smiled down at him, "Don't worry Zepplin," she said after hearing him whine, "Everything will be fine."

"Oi! Siren!"

Margo turned upon hearing Gajeel's voice call out to her.

"Still using that stupid nickname I see," she pouted.

"Don't complain or I won't help you," he huffed, now standing in front of her.

"Help me with what?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"With the contest," he smirked.

"And just how are you going to help me exactly?"

"With this," he answered, shoving his guitar into her hands.

Margo's eyes widened for a moment upon feeling the wooden guitar. She was surprised that he would let her borrow it or even let it out of his sight, "But why are you even helping me? It's not like you're gonna gain anything out of it."

"I just want to see you bring that ice prick down," he said, crossing his arms.

"Of course," she said, rolling her eyes in response.

"What?" he asked with a growl, "You want to show him up just as badly."

Margo blushed faintly at being caught in her competitive nature, "Yeah, I guess."

"Just make sure to put the guitar to good use and to return it in one piece when you're finished with it," he said, "I swear, if you fucking break it, I'll…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," she cut him off before smiling softly, "Thanks Gaj-"

Margo wasn't able to finish her sentence. Two voices suddenly interrupted their conversation, both Dragon Slayers turning towards the source of the voices.

"Hey, Iron Dragon!" Jet and Droy shouted.

The two men stood a few feet away from Gajeel and Margo, both wearing a scowl. Margo stomped down on the ground to see if Levy was with them, but strangely the girl wasn't anywhere near the area.

"What do you want?" Gajeel asked gruffly.

"You shouldn't be here," Jet answered.

"Yeah, you tried to destroy our guild. It's like a slap in the face that you've joined it now," Droy said.

"Now wait a minute," Margo began, her brows knitting together in anger, "What right do you have to say that he doesn't belong?"

"Beat it Margo," Jet frowned, "Our beef isn't with you."

"Well it's gonna be if you keep this up," Margo growled.

Before Margo could say anything else on the issue, Gajeel grabbed her arm tightly and pulled her behind him. He then took a few steps closer towards Jet and Droy, saying nothing in the process. He faced the other two mages with an expressionless face, ready for whatever they had to throw at him.

In an instant, Jet was attacking him with his speed magic and Droy with his plant magic. Gajeel let the men hit him without any defenses up. He knew that this was long overdue and he didn't know any other way to make amends with them. He was never one for apologies, so sucking up his pride like this was the best he had.

"What the hell?! Gajeel!" Margo shouted, feeling the other two men attacking him. She couldn't understand why he wasn't at least defending himself. He was just standing there, letting them hit him. If this was his way of apologizing to them, she didn't like it. Margo didn't see it necessary for him to be attacked like that just to prove he was a part of the same guild, "Stop it!"

The fighting and Margo's shouting caught the attention of two passing guild members. Levy and Dante ran towards the ruckus, their eyes going wide upon seeing Jet and Droy attacking Gajeel. What was more surprising was that the iron dragon was just letting them get away with it. They also noticed Margo on the other side of the fighting, shouting at them to stop. Levy and Dante exchanged looks before deciding that helping Margo stop the fighting was the best thing to do.

"Jet! Droy!" Levy shouted at the men, "Stop this!"

"What's going on?" Dante asked, appearing next to Margo.

"Those guys just appeared and said that Gajeel didn't belong at the guild and then started attacking him," Margo answered, sounding distraught, "But Gajeel isn't fighting back. They need to stop!"

Dante turned back to the fight, frowning at Jet and Droy. He disliked their attacking Gajeel just as much as Margo. He had been noticing Gajeel trying to get along with the other members of the guild. He was trying and that's what mattered the most. Attacking him without reason wasn't going to solve anything.

"I said stop it you two!" Levy shouted again, trying desperately to get her teammates to stop.

"No, this guy made us feel like trash!" Jet shouted.

"He has to pay for hurting you and the guild!" Droy added.

They continued to lash out at Gajeel, the larger man still not fighting back. Margo couldn't take it anymore. It was one thing to take their anger out on the man, but when Gajeel wasn't fighting back there was no longer a point of attacking him.

"STOP IT!" Margo screamed, running towards the fight before Dante could grab her, "It's enough!" she shouted, using her 'Sound Dragon's Punch' to cancel out Jet's 'Falcon Heavenward' attack. Droy quickly pulled back his next attack at the appearance of Margo in the battlefield. Everything went quite for a long time, everyone surprised by Margo blocking Jet, especially Gajeel. He definitely hadn't been expecting her to show up in front of him.

"What are you doing?" Jet finally asked, "This isn't your fight."

"I don't care," Margo snapped, "Attacking him isn't going to change things. It's just pointless fighting on your own guild member, especially when they're not fighting back."

"Why aren't you fighting back?" Droy asked.

Before Gajeel could answer him, a deep voice interrupted them.

"So you're the punk that messed up the guild?"

"Laxus!" Jet and Droy exclaimed at the same time.

Margo stomped down a foot to get a feel for the man that entered the scene. He was huge, almost reaching Dante's height. His scent was a little strange. All she could smell was an electric current coming from him. She sneezed at the scent, not particularly liking the buzzing feeling it gave her.

"It's because of you that my guild has a bad reputation!" he shouted, his hands filling up with lightning.

Before Margo knew what was happening, Gajeel threw her out of the way. She quickly stood up and was about to yell at him when Laxus's magic hit Gajeel. The Iron Dragon Slayer was covered in lightning and he let the attack play out.

"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!" Laxus shouted again as he continued to pulverize Gajeel with attack after attack.

"Stop it!" Margo shouted.

"Even for us this is too much," Jet said.

"But why isn't he fighting back?" Droy asked again.

"Because you morons," Dante said, looking at the lightning magic with uneasy eyes. He had hated lightning since he was little, especially after the storm and flood that had separated him from Margo, "He is trying to get you to recognize him as your nakama. He took your attacks because he felt he deserved them."

Jet, Droy and Levy's eyes all went wide upon hearing Dante's words. Gajeel had been willing to be attacked by everyone without defending himself? Just to be recognized by them? It was a little hard to believe, but there was no other explanation that made sense.

"I said stop it, you bastard!" Margo screamed. She let out a loud shout when Laxus kept on ignoring her, "Sound Dragon's Sonic Bullet!" she yelled, aiming the shot at Laxus. A large amount of her sound magic was sent flying towards the lightning mage, hitting him in between his shoulder blades. It sent the large man flying forward, but it managed to stop him from hitting Gajeel over and over again with his lightning magic. Said Dragon Slayer laid on the ground, clenching his teeth in pain while looking up at Margo. He couldn't believe that she was getting in the way again.

Laxus turned around with pure anger in his eyes, staring Margo down, "Little girls should keep their noses out of people's business," Laxus growled, "Especially ones that tear up my guild," he added. He suddenly recognized her from the article that had been released about Fairy Tail. He had read how she had started a huge fight that ended up tearing up half of the guild, "You're the other new Dragon Slayer I hear. Too bad being a Dragon Slayer doesn't give you an excuse to give the guild a bad reputation!" he shouted, sending a huge bolt of lightning towards her.

"Stop Laxus!" Jet shouted, "That's enough!"

"Shut up!" Laxus yelled, sending a second bolt towards the rest of the group. The bolt directly made its way towards Levy, who moved to cover herself to prepare for the blow.

Before either bolt could touch either woman, two mages stepped in front of them.

"Stone Make: Stone Skin!" Dante shouted, jumping in front of Levy. Hard stone quickly covered all of Dante's skin just in time for him to take the hit of lightning. The bolt left a scorch mark on his arm and he glared at Laxus for aiming at innocent people.

"Dante!" Levy cried, "Are you all right?!"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he answered lowly.

During this time, the first bolt was headed for Margo. She quickly tried to think of a move to defend herself from the attack since she could hear the crackling of lightning heading towards her. Before she could think of anything, Gajeel jumped in front of her and took the hit instead. He grunted in pain, blood leaking out of one eye and the sides of his mouth when the attack ended.

"Gajeel," Margo whispered, shocked that he had taken the hit for her.

The others stared wide eyed at Gajeel and Margo, shocked as well that he would defend Margo. He willingly took the hit to protect her and it caused the others to begin to see the man in a different light.

"That's enough Laxus!" Dante shouted, glaring at the man.

"Tch," was all Laxus replied with before turning around and heading towards the guild.

"What the hell got into him?" Jet asked.

"I don't know, but I don't like it," Dante said, his skin turning back to normal.

"Thank you, Dante," Levy said, a small smile on her face.

"No problem," he grinned at her.

"We should get heading to the guild to get ready for the contest and the parade," Levy said, "We can bring up this incident to the others later. No need to ruin the day because of it."

The other three men nodded their heads in agreement.

"Margo, are you coming?" Dante asked.

"Uh…" she hesitated, her attention moving back and forth between Dante and Gajeel, "I'll catch up with you. I need to get some things from my room. I was also wanting to borrow some clothes from you, Levy. If that's all right?"

"Yes, of course," Levy smiled brightly, "You can pick out anything you want."

"Thanks," Margo replied, "I'll see you guys soon."

They all nodded at her and left the area. It became quiet again. Margo stayed still with Gajeel right in front of her, his back turned to her still. Zepplin looked back and forth between the two, not sure of what was about to happen.

"Gajeel, I-"

"Don't worry about it," he grunted out, cutting her off.

"Thanks," she said quickly, puffing her cheeks out in irritation. He wouldn't even let her thank him properly.

"I've gotta go," he said, still not turning to look at her, "Take care of my guitar," he ordered before he started walking away.

"Wait!" she said, moving to grab onto his arm. As soon as she touched him, she could feel the hard muscle under his skin and round pieces of iron sticking out through his skin, 'How fitting for him,' she thought.

"What?" he growled, finally turning to look at her.

Margo was quiet for a moment, slowly reaching out to touch his cheek. She couldn't see the damage Laxus had done, but she knew there had to be some. Gajeel tensed up upon seeing her hand move towards him and he almost flinched away if hadn't been for the worry for him that he saw in her dull eyes. It was such an unknown emotion to him, especially when it was aimed at him. Somewhere deep inside of him, he wanted to memorize that look, so he made himself stay still. Margo made contact with his cheek, her fingers sliding across the blood that had trickled out of the corner of his eye. She then pulled her fingers away, knowing what the liquid was that was on them.

"Well, it's decided then," she stated.

"What is?"

"You're coming with me."

"What?!" he shouted.

"You need to clean up," she sighed, "It's the least I can do for you."

"You don't need to do anything," he grunted, "I can take care of myself."

"Psh, whatever," she retorted, "You're coming with me," she repeated, pulling on his arm to make him walk with her. Zepplin followed closely as they headed towards Fairy Hills. Gajeel argued with her at first, trying to pull away from her; but it seemed like she wasn't taking no for an answer after making up her mind. He eventually went silent and let her lead him towards her home. They made it there in a few minutes and quickly made it up to her room.

"Your room is pretty boring," Gajeel stated when he saw the white walls and white sheets that covered her bed. Nothing else was in the room other than her dresser.

"Yeah, well I haven't had the time to decorate," she answered, heading towards the bathroom, "Besides, it's not like I can see it anyways, but Levy is supposed to help me pick out some things for it. She said that it will feel more like home that way."

Gajeel didn't say anything as he sat down on the edge of her bed. He could hear her rustling around in the bathroom as he stared out the sliding glass window that led to the open balcony. Even the little patio on it was empty. She really needed something to add to the place. Boring definitely didn't suit her at all.

He took in a deep breath to help calm him a little more from his recent fight. When he breathed in, he could smell a deep, forest scent; like moss and pine trees with a hint of a light, flowery scent. He instantly liked the smell before realizing that the scent belonged to Margo.

'Holy hell!' he thought, running his hands back and forth through his hair quickly.

"Uh, are you okay?" Margo asked after feeling his movements.

Gajeel froze mid-scratch, "Yeah," he managed to grunt out. He quickly fixed his hair, slicking it back like he normally did. He then watched Margo set a few things on the floor next to the bed. She kneeled down in front of him, picking up a wet wash cloth in the process. She pressed it to the side of his cheek that she had touched earlier, "Ya know, I could easily do this myself," he said.

Margo snorted in laughter, "Yeah, probably by splashing some water on it and that's it. You don't want to get it infected, do you? How would you fight Natsu then?"

"I can fight Salamander with both my hands tied behind my back," he huffed.

"I'm sure you could," she smirked, running the wet cloth over the corners of his mouth to wipe away the dried blood. In the process, she bumped into one of his metal pieces that was located right under his bottom lip, "Do you have pieces of iron all over your body or something?"

"Not all over," he huffed, "Just my face, ears and arms. Is that a problem?"

"No. I think they're actually pretty cool," she grinned.

Gajeel flushed slightly, once again happy that she couldn't see his face. The two fell into a comfortable silence while Margo finished cleaning up his face and neck since a little of the blood managed to make a trail down it. She then grabbed a bottle of alcohol, blotting a paper towel with the clear liquid. Once satisfied with the amount on the paper towel, she gently pushed it against a cut right under his left eye. He flinched slightly from the sting, but made no others complaints about it. She quickly finished with the alcohol and pulled a Band-Aid out of a wrapper and stuck it on the cut.

"All done," she announced, cleaning up the materials from the floor, "You can check yourself in the bathroom mirror if you want just to make sure I got everything."

"I trust you got everything," he said.

"Good, then you can help me pick out an outfit," she smirked.

"Look woman," he began, his eye twitching in irritation that she thought she could just order him around, "It's one thing for you to drag me here to clean me up, but I'm no fucking fashion expert. You can pick out your own damn clothes!"

"Look man," she retorted, a vein popping out of her head, "If you want me to beat Gray so badly, then you'll help me out. It's not like I wanted your help with this anyways. I would much rather have Levy when it comes to clothes, but I'm running late and I need help since I can't see what they look like. You're the only one I've got right now."

Gajeel suddenly felt heavy breathing on the back of his neck. He turned slightly to see Zepplin standing right behind him with his teeth bared at him, "That's totally not fucking fair!" he shouted, pointing at Zepplin with wide, whited out eyes.

"It's my trump card," she smirked.

"Tch, you owe me big time!" he said, giving in.

"Of course," she ginned, "Now come with me," she said, pulling on his arm and running across the hall towards Levy's room, "Whoa!" she shouted, stopping herself before she ran into a large bookshelf. Gajeel ended up bumping into her from her sudden stop, sending Margo into the bookshelf. The shelf shook a little while Margo prayed that it wouldn't fall. It finally stopped tipping back and forth and stood back up in its proper place, "Phew!" Margo let out a relieved sigh before turning to glare back at Gajeel.

"What?" he snapped, "You should pay attention to where you're going."

Margo huffed at him and continued into the room, finding that it was filled with a multitude of bookshelves.

"Looks like the shrimp really is a bookworm," Gajeel commented, "Does she even have a closet?"

"Well, she found me that outfit the other day, so she has to have one," Margo answered, "Just look around all the bookshelves for one."

The two moved around the room, but without any luck. Eventually, they heard a loud bark coming from the back of the room. They moved towards the bark and soon they were facing a large closet that Zepplin had found.

"Good boy," Margo smiled, rubbing the top of Zepplin's head. She moved to open the closet, but a hand on her wrist stopped her. She quirked an eyebrow at Gajeel, trying to figure out what he was doing.

"You said I get to help you."

"Yeah, and?"

"Then I get to pick out your outfit. Gi Hee," he laughed.

"What?! No way!" Margo shouted.

"What are you gonna do about it?" he asked, "You can't see the clothes anyways."

Margo sighed heavily, knowing he was right, "Fine," she huffed, "But you better pick out something good. Nothing stupid or sleazy looking."

"I doubt the shrimp has anything sleazy," he mumbled, opening the closet doors. He sweat dropped upon seeing all the clothes, 'How the hell am I supposed to know what to pick out?' he thought, 'I'm so glad that I'm a dude,' he added in his head.

He sighed before he started digging through all the clothes. He rummaged through countless jeans, capris, shorts, t-shirts, tank tops and blouses, but none of them caught his eye. He noticed he was coming to a part of the closet that held all of Levy's dresses. He grinned devilishly, knowing Margo would hate to wear one. He went down the line of dresses, finding one that he liked the design of. Finally, he pulled one out that he liked.

It was a short, summer dress with spaghetti straps. The background color was white and it had large prints of flowers that overlapped each other. The flowers were in shades of blue, aqua and a dark magenta. The top part of it would wrap around the torso tightly while the rest of it flowed out. Gajeel thought it was a good pick.

"Gi Hee," he laughed, causing Margo to twitch in worry, "I found your outfit!"

"It better be something good."

"Oh, it is," he smirked, shoving the dress into her hands.

"A dress?!" she shouted, "Hell no!"

"It's my choice, right?" he asked, earning a sigh from Margo, "Then this is what I choose."

"Fine," she huffed, "But it better not be too outrageous!"

"It's not," he answered honestly.

Margo inwardly sighed in relief, glad that he had been nice enough to at least pick out a decent design, "Did you pick out a pair of shoes?"

"Shoes?"

"Well yeah," she said, "I can't wear combat boots with the dress. Do you know how weird that will look?"

"Uuuuugggggh!" he groaned, scratching his head in frustration again, "Whatever! You go change while I pick them out!"

Margo laughed as she walked out of the room with Zepplin to go change. Gajeel then dove back into the closet to look for a pair of shoes, grumbling the whole time. He didn't particularly like any of the sandals or high heels. None of Levy's regular boots or tennis shoes would go with the outfit either.

"Jesus! How many damn shoes does one girl need?" he mumbled, throwing a pair of flip flops across the room.

Finally, a pair of brown boots caught his eyes. They were leather, ankle boots with a small heel in a chestnut brown color. Deciding that they would work best, he grabbed them and left the room.

He walked back into Margo's room and stopped dead in his tracks. She had put the dress on and it fit her like a glove. The top part of the dress hugged her small bust nicely and the flowing skirt of the dress accentuated her hips. It also showed off her tan skin perfectly. The dress stopped mid-thigh, showing off her toned legs.

"Uh…" was the only thing Gajeel could get out for a moment.

"Did you find a pair of shoes?" she asked, not really noticing his stunned attitude.

"Yeah," he finally managed to grunt out.

"Good," she smiled, but then turned slightly nervous, "Um, so, could you do me a favor and zip me up?"

Gajeel's eyes went wide, definitely not expecting her to ask that question, "Yeah," he managed to say again. She turned around and Gajeel would have blushed at the sight, except a long scar starting from her right shoulder blade and running down towards her left hip stopped him from doing so. He stared at the scar, surprised that she would have one. He wanted to ask the story behind it, but he knew right now wasn't the time for it. He pretended not to notice it for now and easily zipped the dress up.

"Thanks," she said quietly, knowing that he had seen the scar. She was thankful that he didn't ask about it though.

Gajeel simply grunted in reply, handing her the boots when she turned back around. She quickly slipped them on and began heading towards the door to leave. She then stopped and turned to grab her combat boots.

"What the hell do you think you'll need those for?"

"You just never know," she grinned, flicking open her sunglasses and sliding them on, "I can't fight in any other shoes. I'd rather have them and not need them than not have them and need them," she said before grabbing the wooden guitar and walking out the door.

Gajeel stared after her for a moment before looking down at Zepplin, "Your girl sure is weird," he stated with a small smirk before the two followed Margo out the door and towards Fairy Tail.

* * *

**A/N: **Well, there you go! Hope you all enjoyed it! I'll have the next one up soon!

Remember to review please!

Yours Truly,

MyDearWatson


	11. Stuck on the Inside

**A/N: **Another chapter down!

I feel this one is more of a segway chapter to the next one. It doesn't have any real fight scenes in it, but it's basically setting up everything for the next chapter.

Oh! And the song that Margo starts to sing at the beginning of the chapter is called 'Anything For You' by Ludo. I don't own it!

I would like to thank Link, Niwen and Emmatin for their reviews!

Link - LOL! The first part of your review made me laugh and I actually decided to use that in a later chapter! And glad to hear that you liked the little bit of DantexLexy that I put in there. And decided that even though Margo is looking into Evergreen's eyes, the spell still doesn't work since she's blind, kinda like the whole thing with Erza being able to break the spell early since she only has one real eye. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Niwen - LOL! I know, right? And yeah, I try to add some humor in with most of the chapters. I feel like it makes them more entertaining that way. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Emmatin - Thanks! I really appreciate the compliment! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

I don't own Fairy Tail!

Please enjoy!

* * *

**C****hapter 11: Stuck on the Inside**

"Are you all ready for the Miss Fairy Tail contest?" Max asked, acting as the announcer for the day. His question was answered with multiple loud shouts and whistles, "All right, then let's get this started!"

"Are you sure you don't want me to do your hair real quick?" Mirajane asked, standing beside Margo.

"I'm sure," Margo answered, pulling at a loose piece of hair from her messy ponytail.

"Nervous?" Mirajane smiled.

"Maybe a little," Margo said, holding onto the guitar stem tightly.

"Don't be Mar-chan!" Levy smiled brightly, "You look really cute in that dress! Why don't you keep it?"

"What?!" Margo exclaimed, "I can't do that. It's your dress!"

"And now it's yours," Levy giggled, "We should go shopping after the contest!"

Erza's ears perked up when she heard the word shopping. She was instantly beside the other women, "I concur. We must go shopping," she said with a glint in her eyes.

"Uh…okay," Margo replied.

"Great," Erza smiled, "We should get something light to eat first and then we can hit the armor shop and then the lingerie shop and then that store with the really cute dresses and then…" Erza continued going on about all the places they could go to, causing the other women to sweat drop in response.

"I hope you plan to invite the rest of us," Cana smirked with Lucy, Bisca and Juvia standing behind her.

"Of course," Mirajane smiled, "We'll make it a girl's day!"

"Our first contestant!" Max announced, bringing the girls back to reality, "Cana Alberona!"

"Looks like it's time to start," Cana smirked, "Good luck girls, you're gonna need it."

Cana then walked out on stage and dazzled the crowd with her card magic. Juvia went next with her water magic and then was quickly followed by Mirajane with her transformation magic. The girls behind the curtains laughed a little at Mirajane's strange choices for her transformations. Erza walked out next, bringing the crowd's enthusiasm back up with her re-quip magic.

"Good luck Mar-chan!" Levy called out when it was her turn to go on stage, "You too, Lu-chan!"

Bisca quickly followed her and then it was just Lucy and Margo behind the curtains.

"Good luck Margo-chan!" Lucy smiled at her, "It would be really something if one of us won the contest since we're both newer to the guild."

"Yeah, it would," Margo grinned, "Especially when I can shove it into that ice mage's face!" she said, a devilish smile appearing on her face. Lucy 'epped' and took a step back from Margo, "Whoops, sorry," Margo laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her head, "Got a little carried away there."

"It's all right," Lucy said and then mumbled to herself, "Geez, she's like a mix of Natsu and Erza."

"Lucy Heartfilia!" Max announced, breaking up the two girls' conversation.

"Looks like I'm up!" Lucy smiled before walking out on stage. She unlocked a few of her keys to show off to the crowd and soon enough Max was announcing Margo's name.

Margo stood frozen for a moment, suddenly not wanting to go on stage. Max then peeked behind the curtain, his eyes going wide from seeing Margo in a dress, "Hey Margo, you're up."

"I know!" she hissed. She grabbed a chair and finally made her way on stage.

The crowd went quite when she made her appearance. Finally, someone called out, "Whoa baby!" and caused the rest of the crowd to go wild.

"Who the hell said that?!" Aero and Dante shouted.

Margo rolled her eyes in response as she took her sunglasses off and slid the stem to hang on the dress. She placed the chair in the middle of the stage and grabbed the mic stand. She sat down and fixed the microphone so it would be at her level. She strummed on the guitar a few times to make sure it was tuned correctly. Once satisfied, she spoke into the microphone, "This song is called 'Anything For You'."

"Whoa, she's gonna sing?" Natsu asked, "I hope she's better than the metal freak!" he added, earning a smack from said Dragon Slayer.

Margo began a light and happy strumming on the guitar before she started singing in a playful voice, "My ancestors planted some sequoias by a road. I've driven down that road since I was born. Oh, never have you ever seen so many perfect evergreens. But I would chop them all down just for you," she sang with a smile, beginning to tap her foot to create a simple beat.

Several people had started out with their hands on their heads, considering how things turned out the last time someone tried to sing that wasn't Mirajane. To their surprise, Margo was very good. Soon, they began to sway to her song, smiling along with her.

"I have walked a million miles in a hundred pairs of shoes. In search of some universal truth. Well, a deity just came to me and handed me a scroll to read. And I will gladly pass it on to you," she sang, letting the music play for a moment before she continued, "Anything for you. All of this is true. But the best story that I could ever tell. Is the one where I am growing old with you."

Everyone was clapping along with her song, fully enjoying it.

"I was having rotten luck and nothing went my way," Margo continued before she was suddenly cut off.

"That's right sweetheart, you sure are having rotten luck," a woman's voice announced, "You see, I'm the rightful winner here. I'm the Queen of the Fairies!"

"Evergreen!" the crowd shouted.

"And you're about to be stone just like your friends," she smirked, pulling back curtains to reveal the Fairy Tail women; who had all been turned into solid stone. Evergreen slid her glasses down to do the same to Margo, but it didn't have any effect on her, "What?! Why isn't it working?"

"I'm blind, you bitch," Margo growled, standing up from the chair, "What did you do to my friends?"

Evergreen glared at Margo and was about to attack her with her other magic when Laxus's voice stopped her.

"Enough Evergreen," he stated, showing up by the solidified women with two other men on either side of him, "One little girl won't make a difference anyways."

"Laxus!" Makarov bellowed, "What are you doing?"

"What you should have done a long time ago," he answered, "I'm tired of our guild being looked down on and having a bad reputation. You continue to take in all these weaklings when we're supposed to be the strongest guild," he explained, slinging an arm around a stone Lucy, "So, I'm going to do it for you. You have three hours to find myself and the three members of the Thunder God Tribe and defeat us."

"All right! A fight!" Natsu shouted, rushing towards Laxus, "I'll take you on right here!"

Before Natsu could do anything, Laxus struck him with a bolt of lightning and knocked him unconscious.

"As we were saying," Evergreen said, taking over the explanation, "You'll have three hours to defeat all of us and to make sure you follow our rules, the women will stay petrified. If you cannot defeat us in this time slot, then the women will meet their demise. The battlefield will be the entire town of Magnolia."

"Why are you doing this Laxus?!" Makarov shouted.

"I only want the strongest in my guild," he smirked, "This is my way of getting rid of the weak. Good luck, old man," and with that, the four man team disappeared. In an instant, everyone was running out of the front guild area to chase down the four opponents.

"He had to do this on today of all days," Makarov said with a scowl, heading out of the guild area as well. When he came to the arch that sat in front of the guild he was suddenly stopped. He tried to push through again, but an invisible wall was preventing him from moving. Words suddenly passed across the invisible wall, stating that anyone made of stone and anyone 80 years or older was not allowed to pass through, "Damn Freed and his enchantments," he growled. Makarov then looked back towards all the petrified women, his children, "Reedus!" Makarov called out upon seeing the mage hiding behind a pole.

"Yes Master?"

"Go to the Eastern Forest and find Porylusica," Makarov ordered, "She might be able to break the spell that the women are under."

Reedus nodded to him and took off in the opposite direction that all the mages had ran. It was at that moment that Natsu woke up from his earlier attack. He jumped to his feet, looking around for Laxus.

"Natsu!" Makarov called out. He then began telling the Fire Dragon Slayer what had happened while he was knocked out and how he had to go find Laxus.

During this moment, Margo jumped down off the stage. She moved over to the table that she had left her combat boots on, glad that she had been smart enough to grab them before coming to the contest. She began sliding off one of the narrow, heeled boots when Aero and Dante approached her.

"You're still here?" she asked, surprised that they hadn't gone off running with the other mages.

"Well, we know that you're gonna go fight," Aero answered.

"And we're not letting you do that alone," Dante finished.

Margo smiled softly at their protectiveness, for once happy to have them around for it. She figured they could get farther fighting together rather than separately. She slid off the second boot and was about to grab one of her combat boots when Natsu pushed away her brothers and grabbed her hand.

"Natsu? What the hell?" Margo asked.

"Come on, we have to go!" he shouted, "We need to take down Laxus!"

"Wait! I have to put my shoes on!" she yelled as he started running towards the exit with Margo in tow.

"No time for that!"

"Natsu! Wait!"

Suddenly Natsu slammed into the same invisible wall that Makarov had hit earlier, his face squished against it. Margo slammed into the wall a second later since Natsu had been dragging her, her face being squished against it as well.

"Ow, ow, ow," Margo repeated quickly, holding her nose, "You moron!" Margo yelled, bonking Natsu on the head.

"OW!" Natsu shouted, "It's not my fault!"

"I wouldn't have slammed into the wall if you hadn't been dragging me with you!"

"I don't get it," Aero said, interrupting the two before they started an all-out brawl, "It says only those that are petrified and those over 80 cannot pass through," he explained, quirking an eyebrow at both Margo and Natsu.

"Well I'm no old hag!" Margo shouted, knowing her brother was probably giving her a strange look, "I'm eighteen!"

Everyone turned quiet when the invisible wall that was holding them in lit up with names. It showed Alzack defeating Jet and Droy.

"What the hell?" Natsu said, "So they have to fight each other as well as finding Laxus and the others?"

"Laxus," Makarov growled, angry that his children were being forced to fight each other. They had no choice since they had to save the women.

"You two have to go without me," Margo said, turning to her brothers.

"What?!" Dante and Aero shouted, "No way!"

"You have to," Margo retorted, "You have to go out there and protect the others."

"But what if we get stuck in a trap too?" Dante asked.

"That's just something that we'll have to risk," Makarov sighed, "Margo is right, you need to be out there to protect the others. This is an order from your Master."

Aero and Dante were quiet for a moment, staring at the old man. They knew that both he and Margo were right, but that didn't make it any easier to go without their sister. Eventually they both sighed and nodded at Makarov.

"All right, we'll go," Aero said, "But whenever you figure out how to get out of here, you better catch up to us," he said, the comment meant for Margo.

"I will," she said.

"Let's go Dante," he said, heading for the exit.

Dante looked back and forth between the exit and Margo before deciding to run over to Margo. He picked her up and gave her a big hug and quickly sat her back down on the ground.

"Take care of each other," Margo smiled.

"We will," he grinned before running to catch up to Aero. As soon as they walked through the exit, their names appeared on the board like all the other members of the guild to indicate that they were now a part of the game.

Margo sighed, moving back to where she left her combat boots to start to put them on again. Just as she sat down to put the first one on, a projection of Laxus showed up in their area.

"Laxus!" Natsu shouted, running to tackle the man. He tripped a little when he went through the man's body, not knowing that it was only a picture of him.

Laxus laughed loudly at his stupidity, "Looks like your ruin is just beginning old man," he smirked, "I can stop all of this if you just hand the guild over to me."

"You don't deserve the guild!" Natsu shouted in response, "And you won't kill the girls!"

"Oh, you don't think I will?" Laxus asked, "You're even stupider than I thought, Natsu."

"Change them back!" Margo shouted.

"Hmmm, you're still here?" Laxus asked, "Shouldn't both you and Natsu have gone to fight already?"

Margo and Natsu stayed silent.

Laxus stated laughing again, "You can't get through the barrier? That's just priceless!"

"Shut up!" Natsu yelled.

"You have no one useful to fight. Just give it up, old man!"

"We still have Gray!" Natsu shouted, "You shouldn't underestimate him!"

"And my brothers are out there too!" Margo added, "Aero and Dante will beat you!"

"Tch, none of them can reach my level," Laxus retorted.

The board suddenly glowed again, showing that Bixlow defeated Gray.

"Gray," Natsu said, Margo assuming that it meant he lost his match.

Laxus started laughing again, delighted that his plan was working out so well, "So how about it, old man? Ready to give up now? You only have an hour and a half left to save those girls."

Natsu shouted and ran through the thought projection, the picture of Laxus disappearing.

"So what are we supposed to do?" Margo asked, "We're losing people left and right. Soon it's only gonna be my brothers out there and it's unfair to make them go up against four opponents."

"I'm sure they've been in worse circumstances," Makarov said.

"That doesn't mean it makes it okay now!" Margo shouted.

"I know that!" Makarov shouted back, taking both Margo and Natsu by surprise, "Those are my children out there being forced to fight each other by people they thought were comrades. None of this is right!"

"Oi! You're all so loud," Gajeel said, popping up from one of the tables and chewing on a piece of metal.

"Gajeel!" the other three shouted.

"Go after Laxus," Makarov ordered.

He finished eating the piece of metal and smirked widely, "Payback's gonna be a bitch," he said as he jumped towards the exit. Suddenly, his body slammed into the invisible barrier, causing the others to sweat drop.

"Looks like payback will have to wait," Margo sighed, wanting to lay into the lightning mage as much as Gajeel did for his earlier actions.

"Screw this!" Natsu shouted, turning towards the stone women, "We need Erza!"

"And just how to you expect to get her out of the stone spell?" Margo asked.

"I'll de-petrify her with my fire," Natsu smirked, breathing in deeply.

"What?!" Margo and Gajeel shouted.

"Natsu, you idiot!" Makarov shouted, trying to move quickly enough to stop him.

Natsu's fire was quicker and a huge wave of it spilled over Erza. The fire quickly disappeared, leaving behind a still stone Erza. Though, a crack suddenly appeared across her face. Everyone flinched at the sound of the crack and waited with baited breath, hoping that Erza wouldn't crumble to pieces. More and more pieces of stone began to crack and crumble.

"Natsu! What did you do?!" Margo yelled.

"I didn't do anything!" Natsu cried.

'WHAM'

"OW!" Natsu whined before looking up to see Erza standing above him, "Erza!"

"You idiot! Don't ever try to burn me alive again!" Erza shouted. She became quiet after that as she looked around the guild area, "What's going on? Where is everyone else?"

"Laxus is trying to take over the guild," Margo answered, "He set up this whole game to find the strongest of us and the whole town is the battlefield."

"Then why are you all still here?" she asked.

"We can't get through that damn barrier," Margo answered with a growl, "But you should be able to."

"I see," she said, "Looks like I'll be fighting next," she added, re-quipping into her usual armor, "This will end now," she finished, walking out of the exit.

The others watched her go and noticed that her name as well as another name lit up on the board.

"Looks like Mystogan has joined the fight too," Natsu smirked.

"Who is Mystogan?" Margo asked.

"He's an S-Class mage for Fairy Tail," Natsu grinned, "I think we're gonna be gaining the upper hand now."

Margo nodded at him and returned to the table her combat boots sat at. She was finally able to slide them on, feeling at least a little more comfortable now.

"Looks like you were right," Gajeel said, causing Margo's head to pop up from tying the second boot.

"Told you I would need them," she grinned, finishing up the lacing.

"But you look really weird with them in that dress, Gi Hee," he laughed.

"And who's fault would that be?" she huffed, her eye twitching.

"Wait, so you let metal head here pick out your outfit?" Natsu asked, looking between the dress and Gajeel, "Oh man! That's priceless!" he laughed.

"Shut up, Natsu!" the other two shouted, Margo bopping him on the head again.

Makarov watched the three Dragon Slayers argue, inwardly smiling at the scene. Even if they argued with each other, it was at least a sign of mutual respect. They wouldn't be wasting their time with each other otherwise. Though, he thought that if they get out of this situation, he would have to send the three of them on a mission together. It would help them get along better…he hoped anyways. The three of them would make an invincible team if they could learn to work together.

The barrier began to glow again at that moment, showing that Erza defeated Evergreen.

"That's our Erza!" Natsu shouted happily.

It was at that moment as well that the other girls were released from their stone prisons. The others turned towards them, glad to see that because Evergreen had been defeated that they were released from her spell.

"Mar-chan!" Levy smiled brightly, hugging Margo tightly, "You guys did it! You released us!"

"Well you can really thank Erza for that," she grinned, "Natsu, Gajeel and I can't get through the barrier, but things should be over since you guys are free."

In that instant, a giant circle of orbs were sent into the sky, covering the entirety of Magnolia Town. They began crackling with lightning, but they didn't shoot down any bolts on the town yet.

"You think it's that easy to win?" Laxus's voice boomed through the guild area, "You still have three of us to defeat. I've activated Thunder Palace. If you can't defeat the three of us left, then my spell will go off in an hour and ten minutes. After that, it will destroy the whole town. Good luck!"

At the shock of Laxus's words and threat, Makarov fell to the ground.

"Master!" Mirajane shouted, everyone circling around him, "This is very bad," she frowned.

Margo's eyebrows furrowed together, "You all need to go out there," she stated, "We need all hands on deck. The more of us out there, the better chance we have of defeating Laxus."

"There's no need for that," Bisca smirked, pulling out a long gun, "I can just shoot those things out of the sky," she said, aiming her gun at one of the orbs. Once she was in place, she pulled the trigger and blew one of the orbs up. She smirked in triumph until a huge bolt of lightning came back down on her. She screamed in pain and felt to the ground once the lightning disappeared.

"You need to go after them!" Margo shouted, angry that Laxus would hurt his own guild mates so easily and angry that she couldn't go do anything herself. Several of the girls nodded and left to go fight.

"Take care of Bisca and the Master," Mirajane said, "I have to go make sure Elfman is all right."

Margo nodded at her, turning to the only girl left, "Levy? Aren't you gonna go fight?"

"I think I have a way to get you three out of here," she answered, looking at all the Dragon Slayers, "Freed's enchantments are written magic. I should be able to decipher them and change them so you all can go fight."

"Do it," all three Dragon Slayers said lowly.

**. : + : .**

"Where do you think Laxus is?" Dante asked, running beside his brother.

"I have no idea," Aero answered, "We just have to look everywhere. Even if we run into one of his henchmen that would be better than nothing since we have to take all of them down."

"And what about Margo?" he asked, worry hanging in his voice.

Aero was quiet for a moment, worried about their sister as well, "She'll be okay. She can take care of herself for the time being. Plus, if they do get out of that barrier, she has Natsu, Gajeel and Zepplin with her. We should concentrate on what we're supposed to do right now."

"I guess," Dante sighed.

They ran into an open area of the town, just outside some of the shops. They would have moved farther, but a barrier appeared and caused both of them to slam into it.

"Dammit!" Aero shouted, slamming his fist on the invisible wall.

"Aero," Dante said quietly.

Aero turned around to look at his brother to see him staring up at the barrier. Aero looked up as well, his eyes going wide at what it said, "Brother against brother. The one to win the battle against blood may continue."

"FREED!" Aero shouted, punching the barrier several more times.

"Hello," a voice said, a green haired man appearing in front of Aero and Dante.

"Release the barrier," Aero growled.

"I can't do that," Freed answered evenly.

"You don't have to do this," Dante said, hoping to get through to the man, "You could end everything now. You know all this fighting is pointless."

"As I said, I can't do that," Freed frowned, "These are Laxus's orders."

"And if Laxus told you to go jump off a bridge, would you do that too?" Aero snapped.

Freed stayed silent at the question.

"You gotta be fucking kidding me," Aero growled, "You know that all of this is really messed up, right?"

"It's to help the guild. We need to build our strength," Freed stated.

"You moron!" Aero shouted, hitting the wall.

"Strength isn't measure by how hard someone can punch," Dante said, "It's by how much heart they have to give."

"Is that so?" Freed asked, "Then how much heart do you have to fight off your own brother?"

With that, Freed began to walk away, ignoring Aero's shouts.

"What the hell are we supposed to do?" Aero asked, "We can't just sit here while other people continue to get hurt. The Master trusted us to protect everyone."

"Then there's only one thing we can do," Dante frowned, looking up to the words on the barrier again.

"What?!" Aero shouted, "Dante, you can't be serious! We can't fight each other!"

"And why not?" he asked, "We've sparred together before."

"That's completely different," Aero said, "And don't you remember what Margo said to you before we left? She said to take care of each other. Fighting each other is definitely the opposite of that!"

"So you just want to wait around why everyone else gets hurt?!" Dante yelled.

"No," Aero huffed.

"Then this is what we have to do," Dante said, moving a few feet backwards to move into a fighting stance.

Aero stayed silent for a long moment, staring his brother down. He sighed heavily, "Fine," he said, "Let's get this over with," he added, turning to face his brother.

A small breeze passed through the two of them and when everything came to stand still, they both ran towards each other.

**. : + : .**

"Looks like your brothers got stuck in one of Freed's traps," Gajeel announced, staring up at the glowing barrier.

"What?" Margo asked, turning towards Gajeel.

"Yeah, looks like they have to fight each other," he said.

"This is getting really fucked up," Margo growled turning back to Levy, "Levy, please hurry up."

"I'm moving as quickly as I can," she muttered, leafing through several books and scribbling down the information she needed.

"Those two idiots are gonna end up killing each other," Margo frowned, clenching her teeth and fists together, "I swear I'm gonna tear Laxus apart!"

"Not if I get to him first," Natsu said lowly with his own fists clenched together. He punched the barrier again out of frustration.

"Oh! I think I've got it!" Levy exclaimed, standing up from all her books and papers.

The three Dragon Slayers quickly moved towards the barrier, standing directly in front of it. Natsu stood in the middle with his fists clenched still. Gajeel and Margo stood on either side of him with their arms crossed.

"You've done some impressive work, Levy," Margo stated, causing said girl to blush faintly.

"Thanks," she replied, "Now, remember that you all have to work together to take down Laxus."

"We know," Margo answered, "Now release the barrier."

Levy nodded and quickly used her magic to take the barrier down, "It should be down. Good luck you three."

"Laxus is the one who will need the luck," Natsu growled as they all took a step forward before disappearing in a flash.

* * *

**A/N: **Well there you go! Hope you all enjoyed it! I'll have the next one up soon!

Remember to review please!

Yours Truly,

MyDearWatson


	12. Powers Unleashed

**A/N: **CHA! Another chapter uploaded!

So I was planning on updating this one in the morning, but I decided that I wanted to do it sooner than that, so Taa-daa! A 2 am update! Plus, I figured you lovely readers would like a chapter sooner rather than later.

I absolutely loved writing this chapter with all the fight scenes! I hope you all like them as much as I enjoyed writing them!

I would like to thank Link, Niwen and Emmatin for their reviews! Also a big thanks to all of you who have favorite/followed this story! It gives me just as much motivation to continue writing as the reviews do!

Link - Yeah, it was a pretty basic opening chapter, but I'm glad to hear that you still liked it. And I hope you enjoy the fighting scenes between Margo and Laxus! Enjoy this chapter!

Niwen - LOL! Yeah, Margo had a big advantage there at not getting turned to stone, even if she was still stuck behind that barrier at first. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Emmatin - :3 Your review just made me so happy! I'm super happy that you love this story so much! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

I don't own Fairy Tail!

Please enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 12: Powers Unleashed**

The three Dragon Slayers had decided to split up, believing that it would be quicker to find Laxus that way.

Margo was currently making her way through the town over the roof tops. She didn't want to alarm any townspeople, so she did her best to stay out of their eyesight. Zepplin ran behind her, his claws clicking against the brown shingles.

"You're gonna want to search for an electrical scent, Zepplin," Margo said as she sniffed the air herself. She cursed under her breath. She could smell the electric static everywhere thanks to the large orbs that were floating over the town. She jumped the gap to the next building in front of her and then to the open area when she came to the end of that building. Both she and Zepplin landed solidly on the ground, "We may have to do this by the feel of vibrations. I can't smell anything with those stupid orbs in the sky."

She stomped hard on the ground, the vibrations from the movement revealing the apartment building behind her and the open area in front of her. She felt Zepplin right next to her and a figure approaching her off to the left. She thought it might be Laxus, but the shape of the figure was too small to be Laxus. The person didn't have his height or muscles. Margo still turned to face this person, thinking it might be one of the other two they were supposed to be fighting.

The person finally came to the clearing, stopping a few feet in front of her, "Margo," Kaiden's voice filled the silent area.

"Jesus!" Margo growled, "You have the worst timing ever. Whatever it is that you came here to tell me, you can save it. I don't have time to deal with you right now."

"You have such a lovely way of greeting people," Kaiden stated, "I wanted…uh…your clothing choice is pretty interesting today."

Margo's eye twitched in irritation, "It wasn't my choice! If you came all the way out here to comment on my outfit today, you can shove it up your ass."

"Touchy today, aren't we?"

"Look, I'm in a bit of a situation. Could we save this until later?"

"No," he said in a hard tone.

"I will punch your lights out if I have to," Margo growled, "Now piss off!"

"No, I have to make you believe that I'm a good person," he said.

"Right now? You really have to do that right now?"

"If I came to the guild, you'd just run off before I could talk to you and I doubt you'd be willing to go out again, considering the way you ran off the other night," he answered.

"Damn right I won't be going out with you again," she huffed, "But that's an issue that you created yourself."

"I know," he sighed, "But I want to prove that I'm not who you think I am."

"I think it's a little too late for that," she retorted harshly.

"Margo, please," he begged.

"No!" she shouted, "I have a scar on my back to prove what kind of person you are!"

"You know I didn't give you that scar," he replied darkly.

"No, but you let it happen, didn't you?" she said lowly, "You don't think that's just as bad?"

A thick silence filled the air, neither person willing to back down. Margo held her ground, keeping her guard up just in case Kaiden decided to attack. She was becoming more annoyed with her current situation. The longer she stood there talking to him, the more time she wasted in hunting down Laxus and that meant more people would get hurt.

"Dammit," she cursed, "Look, just say what you need to say so I can be on my way. I'm sure whatever you have to say is a lie anyway, considering you're from a dark guild."

Kaiden's eyes went wide at her accusation. How the hell did she figure out what kind of guild he was a part of? He thought about it for a moment, coming to the conclusion that it must have been that Iron Dragon Slayer she talks to. He had heard of him and his position in Phantom Lord. Too bad for the man since Kaiden had his own dirt on him.

"I'm guessing your precious iron dragon told you that?" he asked with a sly smile, noticing a figure in a tree a little ways off from where they were.

"It doesn't matter where I heard it from," Margo snapped, "All that matters is if it's true or not."

"I can assure you that I'm not a part of a dark guild."

"Yeah? And what proof do you have of that?"

"What proof does your Dragon Slayer have that I am other than his word?" Kaiden retorted, "He could be lying just as easily as me. He could be trying to gain your trust in order to become closer with the guild. He did come from a dark guild after all, that is a solid fact. Why else would he join your guild other than to take it down from the inside in order to achieve his revenge on the guild that destroyed his own?"

"Shut up!" Margo shouted, "You don't know him! You don't know what you're talking about!"

"And you know him better?"

"I know him more than you and I know he wouldn't do that," Margo growled.

"Aww, it seems you have a soft spot for the man," Kaiden grinned, walking up to come face to face with Margo, "You like him," he whispered into her ear.

Margo tried to swat Kaiden away, but he caught her wrist tightly, "Let go," she sneered, "You don't know what you're talking about. Gajeel is my guild mate and I trust him."

"You're such a bad liar, Margo-chan," he continued to whisper, "You know that you'll only ever be mine."

"Screw you!" she shouted, trying to smack him with her free hand. He managed to grab that one tightly as well. Zepplin jumped at the man, aiming to bite down on one of his arms. Kaiden was quick, though, and managed to kick the dog in the face, sending him flying back a few feet, "Zepplin!" Margo screamed.

"If you don't believe me, Sugar-chan, then maybe you should listen for yourself," he smirked, turning her around to face the tree that the hidden figure was standing on, "Listen closely."

Margo, not being able to fight off her curiosity, listened hard for something out of the ordinary. Eventually, she heard two voices, one of which she recognized as Gajeel's.

"You're keeping close tabs on everyone, I hope," the unknown voice asked.

"Yeah," Gajeel answered.

"Good," the other voice said, "Make sure you find out everything you can about Fairy Tail and then you can take your revenge out on them."

Gajeel smiled widely while laughing before jumping from the tree he had been standing on and disappearing into the town.

Margo's eyes went wide upon hearing the exchange, 'What the hell was that?' she thought.

"See Margo-chan," Kaiden whispered into her ear, "You have no one to trust. I'm the only one willing to tell you the truth."

Margo stayed silent for a long moment. She had heard the exchange between Gajeel and whoever the other person was. There was a reason to doubt the Iron Dragon Slayer, especially because of the type of background he had; but Margo couldn't bring herself to believe that Gajeel was a bad person. Whenever he spoke to her, she could only hear the honesty in his voice. Even if he came off as a rough and hot tempered man, that didn't make him bad. Hell, she was rough and hot tempered, but she wasn't a bad person. She just couldn't shake the sound of honesty that always rang in Gajeel's voice. Even if the truth hurt, he always told it to her like it was. Kaiden on the other hand, was a complete opposite. Even when he thought he was being slick, Margo could hear the deceptiveness in his voice. If he was telling the truth, he wouldn't have to talk out of his ass like he did. Margo scowled, angry by everything that was happening at that moment.

"I have no one?" Margo asked darkly, "You're wrong, Kaiden. I have everyone. The only person I don't trust is you!" she shouted, using her weight along with Kaiden's to flip the man over her head. She slammed him hard in the ground, Kaiden coughing out from the force. He didn't have time to recover when she punched him the chest with the added force from her 'Sonic Boom', "That was for Zepplin, you asshole!" she yelled, "Don't ever touch my dog again! And don't ever tell me some bull shit that you know isn't true! And I better not ever run into you again after today! I swear Kaiden, if you do anything to my family I will kill you, no matter what our past was like. Got it?!" she shouted. Kaiden was unable to answer from the breath being knocked out of him. Margo slammed a foot into his chest while twisting and pulling his arms up, "GOT IT?!" she asked again.

"Y…yeah," he choked out, "I get it."

"Good," she spat out, throwing his arms to the ground, "Let's go Zepplin," she ordered, the black dog running to catch up with her. The hellhound growled deeply when he passed Kaiden, baring his fangs at him and snapping at him once.

"But," Kaiden began before Margo could leave the area, "You know you can't run from everything."

"Neither can you," she answered in a steady voice, not bothering to turn back towards him, "I'll be able to face my demons when the time comes. Will you be able to, Kaiden?"

With that said, Margo took off running back into town with Zepplin right behind her.

**. : + : .**

"Motorcycle Equip: Speedster!" Aero shouted as he ran towards Dante. The sleek, jet black bike appeared, Aero jumping on it in mid-run. He then pulled his steel staff from his back holster, twirling it in his left hand.

"Stone Make: Spikes!" Dante shouted, bring his fist down into the palm of his other hand. Large stone spikes began to break through the ground, creating an obstacle-like course for Aero to maneuver around.

Aero managed to swerve around each spike, getting closer to Dante in the process. Aero pulled back his left arm to prepare himself to swing at his brother. Just as he was about to bring forward his staff, Dante managed to stop him.

"Stone Make: Stone Skin!" Dante yelled, his skin tuning to hard stone in an instant.

Aero brought down his staff, but it made no dent or scratch on Dante. The stone man then punched Aero directly in the chest, sending him flying off of the bike. Aero quickly called back the Speedster before it crashed into a stone spike. He then skidded to a stop, his boots sending dirt and dust up behind him. He didn't hesitate as he launched himself forward towards Dante. He brought down his staff, the sound of steel and stone echoing as they clashed together. Dante held both arms up to block the staff, picking a foot up to kick Aero away. Aero was quicker though. As soon as Dante lifted his foot up, he moved his staff down and swiped it across the leg that was still planted on the ground. This caused Dante to trip and fall to the ground hard.

"The bigger they are the harder they fall," Aero smirked.

"Very funny," Dante retorted before slamming his fist on the ground, "Stone Make: Pillar!" he shouted, a huge stone pillar sending Aero into the air, "Stone Make: Stairs!" he said, a line of stairs shooting out of the ground to follow the pillar. Dante ran up the stairs, ready to punch his brother down to the ground.

Aero had a different plan in mind though, "Motorcycle Equip: Wave Runner!" he shouted, bringing out a bike that he didn't use very often. Like Margo, he wasn't fond of water, but he had no choice at the moment. A blur of silver magic brought forth a sleek, neon blue bike. I was made so that Aero would have to sit down low against it. It was meant to be more aerodynamic for the water.

Aero jumped onto the bike and pushed one of the many buttons on the small dashboard it had. Suddenly, a huge stream of water gushed out from the front of the bike and Aero revved the engine before taking off down the stream. Just as the bike left the pillar, Dante had jumped down on it, punching into the pillar and smashing the top of it into a million pieces. Aero continued to follow the swirling water down to the ground, skidding to a stop and turning to look up at Dante.

"Are you gonna come down or what?" Aero called out.

Dante jumped down, landing solidly on the ground in front of Aero.

"Bad choice," Aero smirked, pushing another button on the bike. Water exploded out of the bike, quickly filling up the area that was cut off by the barrier. As the water rushed upwards, Aero went right along with it on his bike. Unfortunately for Dante, he was forced to stay on the ground under the water due to his stone skin weighing him down. Dante panicked for a moment from the lack of air. He knew then that he would have to get rid of his protective skin and risk taking Aero on without it. He released the magic and quickly swam to the surface. Just as he broke the surface and took in a gulp of air, Aero was beside him on his bike, "Sorry Dante," he said before bringing his staff down and smacking him in the head with it. Dante was instantly knocked unconscious and Aero grabbed him before he sank and threw him across the bike.

The barrier broke then, water gushing outwards with Aero and his bike coming down easily with it. When they touched ground, Aero lifted Dante from the bike and then the bike disappeared. He laid Dante on the ground, making sure he hadn't hurt him too bad. Upon seeing no sight of blood, Aero stood up, "Sorry buddy, but I'm gonna have to leave you here for now," he said, calling forth his Speedster, "I'll be back to get you when all of this is over," he added before speeding off to find Laxus.

**. : + : .**

Margo ran as fast as she could towards the smell of iron and fire that she knew belonged to Gajeel and Natsu. Even if she couldn't sniff out Laxus, it would still be easy to find him thanks to the other Dragon Slayers. She hoped that the fight between the three men wouldn't be over by the time she got there. She was still angry and she needed to take that anger out on something. Laxus was the perfect target as of the moment.

Margo pushed herself faster when she caught a big whiff of burning metal, not sure if that smell was a good or bad thing. Zepplin kept up with her without any complaints, knowing that what was going on was more important than his muscles aching from all the running they had been doing.

Suddenly, Margo heard a rev of an engine coming from her right and in an instant her oldest brother was next to her, "Aero?"

"It's good to see you out of the barrier," he said.

"Where's Dante?" she asked. Aero stayed silent and Margo seemed to understand what happened, "I see. Well, I hope you didn't hurt him too bad."

"He'll be able to handle it. I made sure not to draw any blood," Aero answered, "Have you found Laxus yet?"

"I think I'm about to. I can smell Gajeel and Natsu up ahead somewhere. I'm pretty sure that they found him."

"All right, then I'm coming with you."

"I'd rather you didn't," Margo said, "There's gonna be three Dragon Slayers fighting in one spot. I don't want you to get hurt by mistake."

"I can handle myself," Aero huffed.

"I know," Margo sighed, "I'd still prefer you not to come with me. Plus, Mirajane and the other women are out on the battlefield somewhere."

"Mirajane?" Aero asked, zoning in on the woman specifically.

"Yeah, she left to go find Elfman after the spell was broken on them."

"Well then," Aero said, turning the position of his bike, "You take care of Laxus. I have other business to attend to."

"Right," she smirked, knowing he was going after Mirajane, "Be careful."

"You too," he replied, "I expect you to come back in one piece!" he shouted before he disappeared.

Margo continued to smirk after her brother until she felt a strange magic in the air. It was definitely a strong magic, but she didn't like the feeling of it. Whatever it was, it wasn't going to be good for Fairy Tail. It was at that moment as well that she came face to face with a huge cathedral. She could feel the strong magic coming from inside the cathedral as well as the smell or iron and fire.

"This is the place, Zepplin," she stated, jumping onto one of the high open ledges, "Be prepared for a fight," she called down to him. Margo always tended to take the high ground when working with Zepplin, that way they could have everything covered since Zepplin would always stick low to the ground. The hound huffed in reply, silently making his way into the huge building.

Margo jumped a few more ledges to proceed further into the building, hearing voices the farther she moved inwards. She stopped just above the trio that were in the cathedral, listening to what was going on for a moment.

"Stop Laxus!" Natsu shouted.

"Afraid to take on a fellow Dragon Slayer?" Laxus laughed.

'Dragon Slayer?' Margo thought, 'It doesn't matter. We have to stop him.'

"You know this is wrong Laxus," Natsu continued in hopes of talking the man out of whatever he was doing.

"It's too late," Laxus replied, "I'm going to use Fairy Law and every one of you will be destroyed!"

"Laxus! Stop!" Levy shouted, suddenly appearing in the cathedral, "You have to stop this! Our master and your grandfather is on the verge of death! You have to stop!"

Laxus only laughed harder upon hearing this news, "Then that means my place as Master is that much sooner! Stupid girl!" he shouted, sending a bolt of lightning at her.

"Levy!" Natsu shouted, too far away from the girl to stop the bolt or push her out of the way.

"Sound Dragon's Sonic Boom!" Margo shouted, landing in front on Levy and sending out a huge wave of sound towards the bolt. The wall of sound stopped the lightning, causing the two forms of magic to explode when they met. When the dust settled, it revealed Margo standing in front of Levy, glowering at Laxus.

"Mar-chan!" Levy announced.

"Are you all right?" Margo asked while keeping herself turned towards Laxus.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered.

"Good. You should get somewhere sheltered now."

"Okay," Levy said, moving back behind one of the large pillars that held the cathedral up. It was then that she noticed Zepplin lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

"What are you going to do, little girl?" Laxus asked, "You can't even dress yourself properly," he laughed, motioning to her dress and combat boots.

Margo's eye twitched at his comment, "It's your fault I ended up this way!" she shouted, "But that's beside the point," she added, "You caused all of this! It's your fault that the Master is sick! It's your fault that all my friends are being hurt! It's your fault that my brothers had to fight each other! And it's your fault that these two are killing themselves by trying to bring you down!"

"And I'll kill you too if you try to stop me!" he yelled.

"I'd like to see you try," Margo said lowly, "I'm fucking pissed off and you're the one I get to take it out on."

Before Laxus could say anything in reply, Margo used her 'Speed of Sound' and disappeared from sight. She suddenly reappeared right in front of Laxus, using her 'Sound Punch' to land an uppercut under his jaw. The force of the hit caused his teeth to clack together hard, the magic for the Fairy Law to disperse and his body to go flying back into one of the large, stone pillars. The dust barely started to settle when Margo rushed up on him, performing a number of combo attacks, all using her added sound magic. Laxus ended up crashing through the pillar, creating a large hole in it from the force of Margo's attacks. He was stopped by another pillar that was in line with the one he had been sent through.

"Holy shit," Natsu said, his eyes wide with surprise. He had yet to see Margo fight, so he didn't know what kind of power she had.

"I don't know why you're surprised, Salamander," Gajeel huffed, "She's a Dragon Slayer after all."

"Yeah, but damn," he replied, "She's really laying into him. And what's with Salamander?!" he shouted.

"Deal with it," he smirked, "Now, come on," he said, moving towards the main fight with Natsu following him closely.

Margo stood in the hole that had been created, glaring at the mage in front of her, "Had enough?" she asked, baring her fangs at him.

"Tch, I barely have a scratch," he responded, pushing himself up off of the pillar, "Let's go!" he shouted, sending out a bolt of lightning at her. Margo easily dodged it, jumping from the hole in the pillar to the ground, standing a few feet from Laxus. Margo could feel the other two men close behind her. She knew that the fight would be won at this point. Laxus couldn't fight off three of them, "Lightning Eruption!" Laxus shouted, slamming his hand on the ground.

Margo could suddenly smell his electrical current coming from the ground. Her eyes went wide, knowing what was about to happen, "Jump!" Margo shouted to the others, leaping to one of the large open archways. The other two dragon slayers followed suit before Margo remembered two other people in the cathedral, "Zepplin! Levy!" she yelled, just as the entire floor of the cathedral erupted in in lightning. The concrete floor cracked and split as multiple bolts of lightning spilled out of them. Margo covered her face with her arm, blocking a few bits of concrete from hitting her face. The only thing that crossed Margo's mind was anger, thinking that Zepplin and Levy had both been hit by the attack. She shouted as she jumped down from the ledge she had been standing on, "Sound Dragon's Supersonic Kick!"

Margo came down on Laxus, her right foot charged with her sound magic. She flipped herself once in the air to gain more momentum and slammed the heel of her right foot into the back of Laxus's head, sending the man face first down into the ground. The force of the hit created a large crater under him. Margo was about to attack him with a 'Sound Punch' when Levy's voice called out to her. Her fist stopped an inch from Laxus's head, which already had blood running down it from her previous attack.

"Levy?" Margo asked with wide eyes.

"I'm okay, Mar-chan," she announced, "Zepplin saved me," she added, appearing behind one of the pillars while riding on top of Zepplin in his large form.

Margo let out a relieved sigh, not paying attention to the man on the ground. She began walking towards the pair, thinking that the fight had been over.

"Margo!" Natsu shouted.

Margo turned back towards where Laxus had been. As soon as she fully turned to face him, she was hit in the stomach by Laxus in his lightning body form. The breath was knocked from her as the two went flying across the cathedral. He began to push her forward with one hand and then punched her in the face with his other. The force of his hit sent her flying in front of him and into one of the stone pillars. Her back hit the stone hard, causing her to cough out when she bounced off of it. She fell to the ground, Laxus slamming down on her with his feet. The breath was knocked out of her again and Margo was beginning to think that she wouldn't be able to get a breath in soon enough to fill her lungs.

"What did I tell you, little girl?" he laughed manically, "I told you I would kill you."

A sudden loud explosion going off outside, stopped everything that was going on in the cathedral. The Thunder Palace that Laxus had set up around the town had exploded and disappeared. Every single orb was gone in an instant.

"What the hell?!" Laxus shouted, seeing that his ace in the hole had been destroyed.

"Game…over," Margo choked out, still stuck under his feet.

"Lightning Punch!" he shouted, backhanding Margo with his enhanced fist. The hit slammed Margo's head to the side, the Dragon Slayer spitting out blood in the process, "It's not over! I'm still standing! The guild is mine!"

"You've lost," Margo said lowly, "The guild will never be yours!"

Laxus shouted loudly as his power overtook him. He jumped back off of Margo, using her body as leverage to push himself away, "Lightning Explosion!" he yelled, punching the ground with a large amount of lightning. The lightning traveled across the ground heading straight for Margo. The lightning hit its target with ease, Margo screaming in pain when the bolts erupted around her. It tore through parts of the dress and cut into her skin, causing blood to start to trickle out from the wounds.

"Margo!" Levy cried.

"Laxus!" Natsu shouted as he and Gajeel ran towards him.

Laxus managed to hit Margo with a second 'Lightning Explosion' before Natsu and Gajeel rushed towards him to punch him. The large man was able to dodge the two, jumping back a ways from them with a smirk on his face.

"Margo," Natsu said with a growl, looking down at the woman's body with a scowl. The front of her dress that covered her stomach was gone, the skin showing filled with wounds from the previous attacks and blood streaming down her tan skin. One strap of the dress was completely gone and other pieces of the cloth were torn or burnt. There were cuts up and down her legs and arms and a deep gash going across her left cheek, "Stand up with us," he said, holding out a hand for her.

"I can't see…you moron," she choked out. Though, from the simple fact that she could still call him names, that meant that she still had steam to continue on.

"That's no excuse," Gajeel stated, reaching a hand out to her as well.

She smirked at his words, somehow finding the strength to lift her right leg to stomp down onto the ground. She felt for the vibrations of the two men, reaching her hands out towards them when she felt them. She tightly grabbed both men on their forearms, the men grabbing tightly onto hers in return and hoisted her up. They steadied her until she could find the strength to stand on her own. Once she felt settled, she released her grip on them and stood tall against the lightning mage that stood before them.

"I can't believe you're getting back up for more," Laxus laughed, "But too bad for you, I'm ending this now," he said, building up the strong magic that Margo had felt from earlier, "Fairy Law!"

**. : + : .**

Aero kept on driving as fast as he could, heading towards an area where he could feel a large amount of magical power. He hoped that he could reach the area in time before something happened to Mirajane. He wouldn't be able to handle it if she got hurt. She had always been there to look out for him, even back in her more wild days. He had been one of the few people that she got along with without yelling at him like she did Erza. He felt the need to repay her for that and so he vowed that he would always protect her no matter what.

He finally came to a large open area, first seeing Cana and Juvia lying on the ground and then Elfman a few feet away from them. He looked around, expecting to see Mirajane's body on the ground somewhere as well. Though, voices, more like shouts, caught his attention in the sky. He skidded to a stop and looked up the see Mirajane in her Take Over: Satan Soul form. She was currently fighting Freed; who, to Aero's surprise, was also in his own demon form. Both were going back and forth, using Darkness Magic to attack each other.

"Holy shit," Aero whispered, surprised to see Mirajane fighting. She hadn't done that since she had lost Lisanna. Something bad must have happened for her to use her magic again. He then glanced back over at Elfman, noticing how beat up the man looked. He then connected the dots, knowing that Elfman must have been attacked by Freed which sent Mirajane over the edge.

Deciding not to let her fight on her own, Aero switched his bikes, "Motorcycle Equip: Gunman!" he shouted, still not gaining the attention of the two in the sky. Once the large bike was out, he aimed both machine guns at Freed. He had taken pointers from both Alzack and Bisca over the years, so he was pretty confident in his abilities in hitting the correct target. Once Aero felt he had the perfect aim, he began to release a torrent of bullets at Freed.

Upon hearing the gunshots going off, the two in the sky looked down to see Aero on the ground. The first group of bullets flew past Mirajane and connected with Freed, hitting him in his left shoulder. Freed grunted in pain, holding his shoulder as he flew higher to get away from the bullets. Mirajane didn't let him get too far, flying after him with her Darkness Magic. Aero revved his engine and began following the two, keeping the bullets aimed at Freed. The green haired man managed to keep Mirajane at bay while dodging Aero's bullets. He suddenly dropped out of the sky, aiming to knock Aero off of his bike.

"You think I'm that helpless?" Aero asked, waiting for the last possible moment to make his move, "You don't know how wrong you are," he said, pulling out his steel staff from its holster. Just as Freed came down to knock him off his bike, Aero swung the staff expertly and smacked Freed in the chest. This brought the man down to the ground and Mirajane casted 'Soul Extinction' on him. Aero had just enough time to move out of the way in order not to get hit by the attack. The spell was powerful enough to cause Freed to revert back to his normal self.

Mirajane then landed on top of him after the spell was completed and began punching him. Just as she was about to land the final blow on him, she stopped her fist right in front of his face and reverted back to her normal form.

"What are you doing?" he asked, "Just finish it already."

"I can't," she answered, "We're from the same guild. We're supposed to smile and laugh together, not fight each other. We're allies."

"The only ally I have is Laxus!"

"That's bull shit and you know it," Aero said, walking up to the pair, "We've always been guild mates."

"We're all family," Mirajane smiled, "It gets lonely being on your own, doesn't it? That's when people truly turn kind, when they know that loneliness. That's why we'll always be here for you."

Tears began to pour from Freed's eyes, "I didn't want to hurt anyone."

"I know," Mirajane smiled warmly at him.

The small group stayed quiet for a moment before Aero spoke, "We need to find the others and hope that they stopped Laxus."

"I know where Laxus is," Freed said, managing to move himself into a sitting position.

"Then we need to go," Aero stated.

"What about the others?" Mirajane asked, looking out at the other three mages lying on the ground.

"We'll be fine, Nee-chan," Elfman said, "Go do what you need to do."

"All right, if you say so," she answered.

"Let's go," Aero said, pulling Freed up off the ground.

**. : + : .**

Laxus casted the 'Fairy Law' spell, a large amount of magic spreading throughout the cathedral. The mages in the large building began to think that it was over for them. Though, just as soon as the spell was casted, it ended; and without any harm coming to the mages. They exchanged glances, wondering what was going on.

"Why didn't it work?!" Laxus shouted.

"Because in your heart, you still believe that these people are your comrades," Freed answered, walking into the cathedral while leaning on Aero and Mirajane.

"What?" Laxus asked, a rage starting to fill him.

"That spell will only hurt people that the caster considers enemies," Freed explained, "You have no enemies here, Laxus, and so the spell failed."

"No!" Laxus shouted, "I refuse to believe that!" he continued, turning towards the three Dragon Slayers, "Lightning Dragon's Heavenward Halberd!" he yelled, sending a giant bolt of lightning in the shape of a spear towards them.

Thinking quickly, Gajeel turned his body into iron and jumped away from the other two members of his team. This in turn redirected the lightning attack since it was attracted to metal. The attack hit him, electrifying him instantly. Gajeel landed on the ground with a hard thump, but he was still breathing.

Natsu and Margo looked from Gajeel to Laxus, dark stares covering their faces. They smirked, feeling that Laxus was out of magic power.

"I'll hold him down," Margo began, "And you land the final blow."

"I like that plan," Natsu grinned, "It gets me all fired up."

Margo fully faced Laxus, grinning in triumph, "I'll show you what a little girl and an idiot can do," she said before shouting, "Sound Dragon's Echoing Dome!"

A large dome of magical power came down on Laxus while loud sounds echoed off of the walls of the invisible dome. Laxus shouted upon hearing the echoing, the sounds vibrating through him. He couldn't concentrate on anything and he couldn't move to get away. He was trapped as an easy target for Natsu.

"Do it now, Natsu!" Margo shouted.

"Crimson Lotus: Exploding Flame Blade!" Natsu shouted. Two large spirals of fire exploded from his arms and he aimed them at Laxus. The two spirals combined to create one giant spiral and it hit Laxus full force. The blonde man was blown away by the attack and knocked unconscious.

Natsu fell to the ground in exhaustion, closely followed by Margo.

Margo hadn't felt so worn out in a long time, not since her training days with Philomela. She smiled, thinking it was worth it though. The rays of sun on her face were suddenly blocked out, indicating that someone was above her.

"I told you to be careful," Aero said from above her, "Instead, you get yourself looking like a mess."

"Yeah, but I am in one piece," Margo smirked.

"Tch, barely," he replied.

"Can you take me home?" she asked with a childish smile, somehow finding the energy to lift her arms up to him.

"I suppose someone has to," he answered. Though his reply seemed harsh, Aero picked her up carefully and gently. He made sure to watch her cuts and tried not to bump her stomach since that was where the most damage was. He held her closely and protectively in bridal style with Margo laying her head against his chest.

"Thanks Aero," she said quietly.

"What are big brothers for?" he asked with a small smirk, "Now let's get everyone home," he said, looking over to Mirajane who wore a bright smile as she watched the scene between the two siblings. She knew then that everything would be all right with both the guild and between sister and brother.

* * *

**A/N: **There you go! Hope you all enjoyed it! I'm still excited over the fighting scenes! It makes me excited for the next big arc coming up!

I'll have the next chapter up soon!

Remember to review please!

Yours Truly,

MyDearWatson


	13. A Festival of Memories

**A/N: **CHA! Another chapter up!

So I thought this was an adorable little wrap up to the Fighting Festival arc! :3 I hope you all like it too!

I would like to thank Link, Emmatin, 2takuya and Kasai no Oni for their reviews!

Link - ^.^ I'm glad that you liked the fighting scenes so much! I can't wait to write more of them! And the big arc is about to start. I'm hoping you all like it as much as I do in my head, lol! I have quite a few things planned for it. Enjoy this chapter!

Emmatin - No, Zepplin wasn't hurt by Laxus. He saved Levy when Laxus blew the cathedral floor up. I just didn't write in that he was able to jump out of the way of the attack. Glad you liked the chapter though! Hope you enjoy this one too!

2takuya - Glad to hear that you loved the fighting scenes so much! And yeah, Hiro Mashima's work is amazing with all the fight scenes! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Kasai no Oni - Simple and sweet! Thanks! ^.^ Hope you enjoy this chapter!

I don't own Fairy Tail!

Please enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 13: A Festival of Memories**

Margo panted as she struggled to make her way up the stairs that led to Makarov's office. She held her stomach in pain as she leaned against the wall for a short rest. She knew that her brothers would be furious with her for leaving the bed they had confined her to after her fight with Laxus. Though, they really should have known better than to leave her on her own. She just hoped that she could reach that damned office before they found her.

The reason for her current position was due to a single man – Gajeel Redfox. She swore that the man really was going to kill her one day. Though, she supposed half of her death wish right now was because of her own curiosity. Margo had to know what was going on with the Iron Dragon Slayer and when she saw Makarov pull him away privately, she saw it as her chance to possibly find out what was going on.

Margo sucked in a breath and began her climb up the stairs again. She just wished that being a detective wouldn't have been so painful. Laxus had really done a number on her and she would have rather preferred to be in bed. She pushed on though, ignoring the sharp pain in her stomach the best she could. She sighed in relief when she saw the top of the stairs, hearing voices drifting through the air the closer she got to the top. She pushed herself onto the leveled floor, only seeing one doorway at the end of the hallway. She forced herself to walk a little farther, stopping when she felt like she couldn't walk anymore. She slid down the wall just outside the door and leaned her head back on it while trying to catch her breath. She then began focusing on the voices on the other side of the door.

"So you've made contact with him?" Makarov asked.

"Yeah," Gajeel grunted, "Several times."

"And he believes that you're a spy for his guild, Raven Tail?"

"Yeah," Gajeel repeated, "Ya know, for being your son, he ain't too bright."

"Ivan was never the brightest bulb," Makarov sighed, "He forgets to think things through."

"Obviously."

"So have you found their location?"

"Yeah. It's not far from here, but it's far enough to not cause suspicions," Gajeel answered, indicating on Makarov's map exactly where Raven Tail was located.

"Good work Gajeel," Makarov said, "I knew I could count on you to be the double agent. I refuse to let my son have his way and he will never get his hands on Laxus."

"No problem," Gajeel replied, "Do you want me to continue spying on them."

"For now, yes," Makarov answered, "I want to find out as much information on Ivan as possible."

"All right."

"Oh, and it seems we have a detective," Makarov grinned, "Looks you've been found out by someone after all."

Gajeel twitched at his words, sniffing at the air to smell the scent of a forest sitting right outside the door. He couldn't understand how he had missed that smell this whole time.

"Dammit," Margo cursed under her breath when she heard Makarov's words. She didn't even bother trying to get up, knowing she wouldn't be quick enough in the state that she was in. She couldn't believe she hadn't thought about how she would get away when they were finished talking. All that had been on her mind was finding out what was going on with Gajeel.

Gajeel moved over to the door as fast as he could, considering one of his legs was in a cast and he had to use a crutch. Once he reached the door, he yanked it open and glared down at Margo. There was a thick silence that passed between the two until Margo finally decided to break it.

"Uh…hi?" she laughed nervously.

"What the hell are you doing?" Gajeel asked gruffly.

"Sitting?" she continued with her innocent play.

Gajeel deadpanned at her answered while Makarov chuckled, "You're lucky that we're both bandaged up or else I'd throw you down the stairs," he grumbled.

"Yeah right," she retorted, causing Makarov to laugh more.

"Look woman," Gajeel huffed, becoming irritated at her responses and Makarov's laughing, "What are you here for?"

Margo sighed, knowing she would have to answer him. She wouldn't be able to walk away from this without either Gajeel or Makarov getting an answer out of her, "I heard you talking to someone before you went to the cathedral. I wanted to find out what it was all about."

"So you were spying on me?"

"No, I wasn't spying on you!" she snapped back, "And you're one to talk about spying," she huffed, crossing her arms and looking away from him with a pout.

Makarov hopped down off of his seat and approached Margo. He smiled at her while patting her head, "Don't be too angry with him. He's just being grumpy because he got caught and I asked him to keep this mission very hush, hush. I ask you to do the same as well."

"I won't tell anyone," she mumbled, still looking away.

"Good," he grinned, "Now, I have other business to attend to," he said before walking down the stairs and leaving the two in silence.

"So," Gajeel began, not liking the silence they were in, "Did you really think I was going against the guild?"

"I never said that," Margo retorted quickly.

"Then why did you follow us up here?"

"Because, stupid, anyone would have been curious as to what was going on," Margo answered, "I wanted to prove that I was right."

"Prove to who that you were right about what?"

Margo mumbled a name, but Gajeel was unable to hear it.

"You're gonna have to speak up."

"Kaiden, ok! I wanted to prove it to Kaiden that you weren't a liar and that you weren't going against the guild!" she shouted, throwing her arms up in the air. Though that was a bad idea since she flinched in pain when she did so, "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow," she repeated quickly, pulling her arms down and holding them against her stomach.

"Idiot," Gajeel said, "You should be in bed."

"And so should you," she retorted, knowing he had been bandaged up just as much as herself.

Gajeel was quiet for a moment before he started talking again, "So how did you end up wanting to prove things to Kaiden?"

"I ran into him before I made my way to the cathedral," she answered quietly, "He saw you on the branch talking to that other guy and he tried to convince me that you were betraying the guild."

"And did you believe him?" he asked. He suddenly felt an anger rise, partly for Kaiden trying to convince her of something he wasn't and partly for Margo even listening to the other man.

"I already told you I didn't!" she hissed, angry that she was having to repeat herself to him.

"You wouldn't be up here if you really didn't believe him."

"Hey!" she shouted, taking Gajeel by slight surprise, "I told you I would trust you, didn't I? I'm not the type of girl to go jumping to conclusions. Would you rather I be downstairs trying to figure things out on my own? Letting Kaiden's words put doubt in my head?"

"No," he grunted.

"Good because I didn't want that either. I'm glad I followed you up here," she said, "Now I know that I was right to trust you. Can't you just take that thought and leave this alone?"

Another silence fell over the two as Gajeel took in her words. In all honesty, he was glad to have someone know about his secret mission that Makarov had given him. At least one person in this guild could fully trust him and not think he was up to something. And he knew that Margo would keep quiet about it. If it had been anyone else, he would have been worried that they would have eventually blabbed about it.

Gajeel sighed heavily, "Yeah, all right. I'll leave it alone."

"Thank you," she said, knowing that his response was the closest thing she would get to an apology, "Can we go back downstairs now? I'm sure my brothers are about to have a cow or two if they've noticed that I'm gone."

"Yeah, let's go," he answered, waiting for her to get up. Margo attempted to push herself up off of the floor, but it only resulted in her sliding back down to the ground. She did this a few times, her body too exhausted to move the way she wanted it to, "Geez, you annoying woman," Gajeel said, bending down to help pull her up. He easily helped her to her feet, pulling a little too hard which caused her to collide with his bandaged chest. Gajeel was barely able to hold himself up with his good leg, somehow finding a way to balance himself and Margo.

Margo blushed at what had happened, looking away from his face, "Uh, thanks," she said, moving to put some space between them. Both of them then turned to the stairs that laid before them, "So…any ideas of how we're gonna get down?"

"Just start moving," he answered, causing Margo to roll her eyes in response.

Somehow the two managed to get down the stairs together without falling, even if it took about twenty minutes to do so. Margo sighed in relief when they touched the floor at the bottom of the stairs. She would have fallen to the floor and slept right where she was standing if Gajeel hadn't been dragging her towards the open lounge area of the guild. He started pulling on her loose fitting tank top until she stood next to him, practically leaning on him for support.

They began moving towards a bench against the back wall of the guild, surprisingly where Natsu was sitting. The Fire Dragon Slayer was bandaged up as well, wearing a grumpy face as the other two approached him. Gajeel sat down first, putting enough space between himself and Natsu for Margo to sit. Not wanting to move any further, Margo sat down between the two men. She had just enough energy to lean back on Gajeel and lift her legs to stretch out over Natsu.

"What the hell?!" Natsu shouted, "I'm no bed!"

"You are today," Margo mumbled, her eyes slowly closing in the process.

"Tch," was all Natsu responded with, but made no movement to throw her off of him.

Zepplin found Margo instantly and made his way to lay down in front of the bench, "Good boy," Margo yawned, dropping an arm to pet him. She had asked him to stay behind and wait for her, and like the loyal dog he was, Zepplin had done just that. Eventually, Margo's hand stopped moving and rested on top of his head, indicating that the woman had fallen asleep.

The two men stared at her for a moment, but did nothing else. They were feeling tired themselves, so neither had the heart to move her; even if they wouldn't admit that out loud.

"MARGO!" Aero suddenly shouted upon seeing his sister on the bench, completely ruining the quiet moment that the other two men were having.

Both Aero and Dante rushed over to Margo with intentions of yelling at her and forcing her back into bed. As soon as they reached the bench though, they were instantly stopped. The two male Dragon Slayers stared them down with a hard look that dared them to move Margo. Even Zepplin started growling lowly, not in the mood to deal with an argument between the siblings.

"I think we can let this one go," Dante smiled nervously.

"Psh, she got off lucky," Aero commented before he and Dante made their way back to the bar.

Gajeel and Natsu exchanged glances, knowing that Aero had been the lucky one. If he had woken Margo up, all hell would have broken lose; and even with her having wounds, Margo would have beat Aero to a pulp. It was one of those unwritten rules: Never wake a sleeping dragon unless you have a death wish.

It was at that moment that Laxus appeared in the guild. His chest was bandaged from the damage the three Dragon Slayers had done to him. A large coat lined in fur was thrown over his shoulders. He wore a straight face as the guild became quiet at his presence. He walked through the guild silently, his mind focused on meeting with Makarov.

Natsu wanted to approach the man, but currently couldn't move due to having Margo's legs lying across him and being bandaged up the way he was. In his place, Aero moved in front of Laxus. Erza had tried to stop him, knowing why the man had shown up at the guild. Aero was able to move away from her and stood directly in front of Laxus.

"You have some nerve showing up here!" Aero growled, glaring at the man, "After what you did to everyone, especially to my sister."

Laxus stared down the man, but did nothing to him. He sidestepped Aero, waving off his comment. He kept on moving towards where he knew Makarov would be, no one else saying anything to him. It was fairly impressive that he was able to take what Aero said to him and not say anything back or do anything to him. They thought that maybe he had learned something from this whole event after all. They had a feeling that they probably wouldn't be seeing Laxus for a while and that saddened them since in their hearts, Laxus was still a part of Fairy Tail. They supposed that they would need to make this parade the best they ever had in order to remind Laxus what Fairy Tail stood for.

**. : + : .**

"But I don't want to goooooo," Margo whined from atop Dante's shoulders, Zepplin down at his feet, "I'd rather be in bed sleeping right now."

"You have to go, even just to watch it," Aero retorted as they walked down the road that led from Fairy Tail to the town.

"Is that supposed to be some sort of blind joke?" Margo asked, sending her oldest brother a flat stare.

"What?! No!" Aero replied, "I'm just saying, everyone has put a lot of effort in this parade and I think you should be there."

"Ugh," she groaned, "Fine, but one of you is carrying me the whole time," she said, plopping her head on top of Dante's, "And it's not my fault if I end up falling asleep."

"I think you got enough sleep with those two dragons," Aero mumbled.

"What was that?!"

"Nothing!"

The three made their way into town, the two men happy to see so many people there to watch the parade. They joined the crowd, moving towards the front to have a front row seat. They waited patiently, a happy feeling coming over all three siblings.

"Why aren't you guys in the parade?" Margo asked.

"We've never been that interested in dressing up and riding on one of those floats," Aero answered.

"Yeah, we've always just enjoyed watching the parade and enjoying the festival," Dante smiled.

"Do they have candy at the festival?" Margo asked, her eyes beginning to sparkle at the prospect of sweets.

"Of course!" Dante answered, "They have all different kinds. I like the homemade taffy stand the best. But they also have cotton candy, different fruits covered in chocolate, hard candies, gummy candies and all sorts of other kinds."

Margo's mouth began to water at the mention of all the different kinds of candy. Suddenly, her wounds didn't hurt so much anymore and she felt the need to hunt down the candy right at that moment, "You can set me down, Dante," she said, a plan forming in her head.

"Are you sure?" he asked, worried about her wounds.

"Yeah. I'm feeling better," she smiled.

"All right, but let me know as soon as you start feeling tired or your stomach starts hurting again, okay?"

"I will," she answered, feeling herself being lifted from his shoulders and down to the ground. Margo had to admit that it did feel a little better to be solidly standing on the ground again, even if it was in a pair of flip-flops. She always felt steadier in her combat boots, but to be more comfortable while healing, she opted for the sandals along with the loose fitting tank top and baggy, mesh shorts.

Loud music took Margo by surprise and the people around her started talking in an animated fashion. She was pretty sure that meant that the parade was making its way down the street.

"We should move this way," Aero stated, "We'll see better from there."

"No, we should move this way," Dante retorted, pointing in the opposite direction.

The two started to argue about where they should stand. Margo took the advantage of their distraction and slipped away into the crowd. She laughed to herself, knowing her brothers would be mad at her again for disappearing. Though, the candy she was about to hunt down would be worth it. She figured with everyone lined up for the parade, there wouldn't be any lines at the stands.

She easily made her way through the crowd, but made sure not to overdo it. She didn't need to hurt herself anymore that day. She took a big gulp of the evening air once she broke away from the crowd. Zepplin quickly joined her by her side.

"You ready for some sweets, boy?" she smiled down at him, earning a happy bark in reply, "Let's go!"

She began sniffing out the stands, smelling all kinds of sweets in the air. It was almost overwhelming, considering there were scents of regular food mixed in with them as well.

"I don't know where to start!" she shouted, continuously turning every which way. Even Zepplin was having a hard time figuring out where they should go. The hellhound liked sweets just as much as Margo.

"Margo?" Natsu called out.

Margo turned to her right to come face to face with Natsu and Happy, "Natsu?" she questioned, "Shouldn't you be in the parade?"

"Riding on those floats makes me sick," he said, his face turning green at the thought of moving transportation, "Besides, it's not like I can do much with a broken arm."

"I suppose not," she replied with a smile.

"What about you? Shouldn't you be watching the parade with your brothers? I saw Dante carrying you out of the guild."

"I was with them, but then Dante was telling me about all the candy they have at the festival," she grinned widely, "I wanted to get a head start on buying some."

"In other words, you snuck away from your brothers again," Gajeel's voice said from behind her.

Margo flinched at his voice, turning to face him with a nervous laugh, "Uh…maybe?"

"You must really like pissing them off," he said.

Margo shrugged, "They really should know me better. They can't talk about all that candy and not expect me to go get some, especially when there aren't any lines."

"Then why are you just standing here?" Natsu asked.

"Well, I really don't know where to start," she answered with a sweat drop, "Everything smells so good."

"You should get some actual food in you first before eating a bunch of candy," Gajeel huffed.

"This coming from the man that eats metal," Margo stated, causing Natsu to laugh.

'WHACK'

"OW! Hey!" Natsu shouted after Gajeel hit him in the head with his crutch, "I didn't even say anything!"

"Yeah, but you laughed."

"Metal brain!"

"Flame head!"

"Iron face!"

"Fire breath!"

"Boys, boys," Margo intervened, "You're both pretty." she grinned. Both men turned annoyed looks at Margo, but as usual, she wasn't fazed by them, "So what do you say? Help a poor girl out?" she asked with puppy dog eyes, Zepplin joining in with her.

Both boys scoffed at her, but easily gave in.

"Fine, let's go," Natsu said.

"Great!" Margo said, smiling widely.

The three of them walked through the town, Margo and Zepplin in the middle of the two men. There were a few people walking the streets, most of them running off to catch the parade late. The only other people in this part of town were the ones running the stands.

"So what should we have first?" Margo asked, a childlike excitement about her, "I'm starved after today."

"Fire chicken," Natsu answered, "They have the best in town!"

"The fish is better," Happy said.

"That's only because you're a cat," Natsu retorted.

"Aye, but I'm still right."

"What about ramen?" Margo asked.

"What?" Gajeel interrupted, "We just had that the other night."

"You just had that the other night?" Natsu asked, quirking an eyebrow, "What? Were you two on a date or something?"

"No!" Margo and Gajeel shouted.

"Margo and Gajeel sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Happy sang.

"Stupid cat!" Margo shouted with a blush, "I was being serious when I told you I would feed you to Zepplin!"

"Wah! Natsu!" Happy cried, flying over to Natsu to land on his head.

"Keep away from my cat!"

"Then tell your cat to keep its damn mouth shut!" Gajeel growled.

Natsu stuck his tongue out at Gajeel, knowing the man wouldn't be able to move fast enough to hit him with a cast on his leg.

"So what about ramen?" Margo repeated her earlier question, interrupting the argument before a fight could break out. None of them were in any condition to wrestle, "Natsu could get something spicy and Happy could get a seafood kind," she explained, "Plus, it's cheap. That way I can spend more money on candy!"

"Fine, whatever," Gajeel grumbled, "Let's just find the stand for it. I'm hungry."

The three made their way through town until they found the small ramen stand. They ordered and ate in content silence. After all the commotion that had been going on that day, it was nice to have some quiet. Eventually, all three of them would go back to their loud selves, but for now they were happy to just have that moment of peace. They quickly finished up their meal and sat the empty bowls down on the stand counter, leaving the money they owed as well.

"What should we hit up next?" Margo asked, sniffing the air for anything that smelled good. Soon she caught a whiff of a sticky, sweet scent hanging in the air and she took off towards it.

"Oi! Siren! Where the hell are you going?"

"I smell something good," she answered, "Come on."

Gajeel rolled his eyes in response, "I don't know why I keep getting sucked into these situations with you all."

"No one said you had to come, metal brain," Natsu stated, beginning to follow Margo.

Gajeel blinked a few times in realization. Natsu had been right. He didn't have to go with them, and yet there he was having dinner with the both of them. As annoying as he found it to socialize with other people, he somehow found it easy to function with Margo and Natsu; even if the later got on his last nerves. He figured it must be because they were fellow Dragon Slayers. Whatever the reason was, Gajeel found himself following the other two, hoping that Margo would be able to hunt down something decent.

Margo continued leading the way, letting her nose find a path to the stand she was looking for. She finally came to a large, wooden stand that was near the center of town. The stand held a plethora of hard candy in all different flavors and colors. Margo breathed in deeply, her mouth watering and her eyes wide and sparkling.

"It's amazing!" she exclaimed, Zepplin next to her with a similar look and barked at her in agreement.

"Hello dear," an older woman smiled from behind the stand.

"Hi," Margo answered with her own smile, "Are you the one selling this candy?" she asked just as Natsu and Gajeel caught up with her.

"Yes, I am," she replied, "I'm guessing that you have a sweet tooth by that look in your eyes. My grandson makes the same face whenever I bring him candy," she chuckled.

"You have no idea," Margo said, "How much?"

"For a large bag, 500 jewels," she answered.

"I'll take three!" Margo announced, causing the two men beside her to sweat drop, "And could you put every flavor in each bag?"

"Of course, dear," the woman answered in a warm tone. The woman put together the three bags, mixing all the flavors. Once she was done, she handed Margo the bags while Margo handed her the money.

"Thank you very much!" Margo grinned.

"You're welcome. Enjoy the rest of the festival."

They nodded to her and began walking down the street, "Here you guys go," Margo said, throwing a bad of candy to each man.

"What?" Natsu asked, catching his bag with his good arm, "But you bought these, Margo."

"Yeah and now I'm sharing them," she retorted, "This is for your help today. I wouldn't have been able to stand back up without either of you. So this is my thanks."

Natsu and Gajeel stared at their bags before exchanging glances with one another. Margo started to fidget under their silence, making her doubt what she bought them.

"I mean, if you guys don't like it, I can always get you something else," Margo frowned, "I know it's not fire chicken or metal, but…oooofff!" Margo huffed out when Natsu suddenly hugged her.

"Thanks a lot, Margo!" he shouted, hugging her tightly with his good arm, "You're the best!"

A large hand suddenly landed on her head, causing Margo to look up, "Thanks," Gajeel grunted. This caused Margo's eyes to go wide, considering it had been the first time she had heard the man thank her. Gajeel felt it necessary to thank the woman since it was the first time anyone had ever given him something. Even if it was just a bag of candy, the meaning behind it was great. Margo smiled brightly at him, causing him to blush in return.

"Let's go play some games!" Margo announced happily, dragging the two men with her.

**. : + : .**

"I'm gonna throw the last ball, iron face!" Natsu yelled.

"The hell you are, flame breath!" Gajeel shouted back.

Margo sighed for the twentieth time that night. Every game they had played, the men would argue. From who went first to who had better aim, they argued about everything. The person at the balloon dart game had even asked them to leave his stand out of fear that the men's rowdiness would tear it up. Though, Margo was a little happy to leave that game. She didn't need a dart stuck in her butt due to their fighting.

She stared flatly at both men, not at all amused by their actions. They had come to a game stand where they had to throw a ball to hit milk cartons over. If they knocked them all down then they would win a prize. Margo had told them each to buy their own set of three balls to throw. But no. They told her that they wouldn't need that many to knock down the pyramid of cartons. They had been horribly wrong. They each had thrown a ball and due to their bandaging and casts, they missed the cartons. They hadn't even been able to knock a single one down. Margo had originally started laughing at them, but quickly went quiet when they had started arguing.

"All right, that's enough!" Margo shouted, hearing a relieved sigh come from the stand owner. Both Gajeel and Natsu stopped arguing and looked at her, "Geez, I didn't think I'd get stuck watching Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb tonight."

"Hey!" Natsu started, but Margo pushed a hand into his face.

"Save it, fire boy," she replied, "Now, both of you move aside. I'll show you how it's done."

"Who said that you get to have the last ball?" Gajeel asked with a growl.

"Yeah, you can't even see to hit the damn cartons!" Natsu shouted.

"That's never stopped me before," she retorted, "And seeing as how there were three balls and there's three of us, then that means I get a turn too. I'm tired of watching you two argue, so I get to play the games now."

"Fine," both men huffed out.

Margo grinned at them before approaching the stand and picking up the ball. She breathed in before her grin turned into a smirk and she threw the ball. It moved straight for the cartons, knocking down the entire stack. Then two of the cartons flipped outwards on each side and knocked down the other two pyramids that were sitting next to the one Margo had knocked down.

"Wow! That was amazing!" the stand owner stated, "You can have any size prize you want!"

Both Gajeel and Natsu stared with wide, whited out eyes and dropped jaws. They couldn't believe they had been showed up by a blind girl. Yet, there she was smiling proudly and picking out the biggest stuffed animal the stand owner had.

"And that boys," she began, turning towards them with her prize, "Is how it's done," she finished with a wide grin, holding a giant stuffed panda bear.

"It's so fluffy Margo!" Happy shouted excitedly before flying and latching onto the large bear.

Natsu glared at the bear for a moment before he started laughing, "Look! It has the same grumpy face as the metal brain!"

'WHAM'

"Keep your stupid comments to yourself," Gajeel grumbled after hitting Natsu on the head.

"Why do you always have to start something?!" Natsu shouted, getting into the other man's face.

"It's your damn mouth that always starts something!"

"Would you three like your picture taken?" a young man asked, standing in front of Margo.

Margo smiled widely at him, "That would be great! Would you be able to print off three pictures though?"

"Of course," he answered, "It's a magic powered camera after all."

"All right, let me grab them."

Margo moved towards the men, grabbing each one by the arm and pulled them to where the photographer was standing. Both men started yelling at her, not realizing what was going on, "Just shut up and smile," she ordered. It was then that Gajeel and Natsu noticed the camera being aimed at them. They tried to pull away, not wanting to take a picture with each other, but Margo held onto them tightly, "Please! Just one picture and then you can go back to arguing with each other."

"Why do you want a picture so badly?" Gajeel asked, "You're not gonna be able to see it anyways."

"Yeah, but I'll know it's there," Margo answered, "Pictures are memories that we get to look back on and I've decided that I like this memory."

The two men suddenly couldn't find the strength to argue with her when they heard her words. Instead, Natsu smiled widely at her and hugged her around her waist with his good arm. He then looked to the camera with the same goofy smile, Happy sitting on top of his head with his own smile. Zepplin took his spot in front of Margo, the hellhound having his mouth open to pant which made it look like he was smiling. Gajeel was the last to give in and moved to Margo's other side. He leaned his arm on the top of her head and smirked at the camera. Margo couldn't even complain about Gajeel's actions, not when she had both of them posing for the camera. Margo smiled brightly towards the photographer, a feeling of true happiness overcoming her; one that she hadn't felt in a long time.

The young man snapped the photo when he saw they were ready, the camera spitting out three decent sized pictures. He handed the pictures to Margo while she thanked him. She then handed a picture to each of the men.

"Now don't lose them," she stated, hanging onto her own photo. She would have to get Levy to help her find a frame for it.

"Yeah, yeah," both men said, but stared down at the picture in pride. Even if they wouldn't admit it, they would be hanging the picture up in their homes.

"Let's move on!" Margo announced, "I smell cotton candy!" she smiled, pulling the two men with her, "Cotton candy! Cotton candy! Cotton candy!" she repeated in excitement.

The two men once again exchanged glances, finding humor in the fact that Margo was so easily amused and satisfied.

As the three walked down the street, they failed to notice a small group of people watching them.

"I can't believe she ran off again," Aero grumbled, "And to hang out with those two!"

"Leave them be," Mirajane said, setting a gentle hand on his shoulder, "They've had a rough day and they're having fun now."

"Yeah, I've never seen Margo look so happy," Dante added.

Aero sighed, shoving his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket, "Yeah, I guess so."

"Now, come on," Mirajane smiled, "You promised to win me a prize. Elfman has been having bad luck trying to do it himself."

"Nee-chan!" Elfman cried, "Don't tell them that. Real men are supposed to be able to do anything!"

"Except knock some milk cartons down," Aero smirked, "Let me show you how it's done."

* * *

**A/N: **Well, there you go! Hope you all enjoyed it!

And I have officially decided that I love to write Margo, Gajeel and Natsu together! So expect more of that in the near future! And I'm sure that I'll enjoy adding Wendy in there as well as soon as she's introduced in the story...and Laxus too when he shows back up. It's going to be hard not being able to write Laxus for a while...I may just have to figure a little something out for him in this story (hint, hint) LOL!

I'll have the next chapter up soon!

Remember to review please!

Yours Truly,

MyDearWatson


	14. Mission at Marigold Marsh Resort!

**A/N: **Another chapter down!

I'm so excited about this chapter! It starts the new arc I've been talking about, so hopefully you all enjoy what I have planned!

I would like to thank Link, Kasai no Oni, MusicOfMadness, Elfman and a Guest for their reviews!

Link - Yeah, I had a lot of fun with that last chapter, so I'm glad to hear you found it amusing too. And here's the start of the big arc for you! LOL! Kreepy Kaiden will eventually be going down, but it's later than you're probably thinking. He doesn't show up again for a little while, but he'll be showing up again in the future. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Kasai no Oni - LOL! You seemed to be excited about that last arc being over. (Though, I am too so I can move on, lol.) I can't wait for Wendy either! She's just so freaking cute! I can't wait to introduce her to Margo because I have some adorable things planned for them! :3 Hope you enjoy this chapter!

MusicOfMadness - I'm glad to hear that you like the Dragon Slayers together, so I think you'll enjoy this big arc! Lot's of face time between the three! I can't wait for Wendy and Laxus to join the group as well. And yeah, Laxus most likely won't actively participate between all of them unless he's helping them fight, but I still can't wait for him to come back! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Elfman - OMG! LOL! I literally laughed out loud when I read your review! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Guest - Thanks for the review! ^.^ Hope you enjoy this chapter!

I don't own Fairy Tail!

Please enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 14: Mission at Marigold Marsh Resort!**

"Yo! Margo! Get up!" Gray called out, banging on her door.

Margo groaned at the loud noise. She rolled over onto her side and threw the sheets over her. It was way too early in the morning to deal with anything, "Come back later. I didn't ask for a wakeup call this morning," she grumbled, too sleepy to care if the ice mage heard her or not.

Even if she had put Gray to work this past week for winning their bet, she never requested him to wake her up so early that day. It was his last day of being the maid of Fairy Hills. She figured he would try to stay away as much as he could that day. Even if it was hilarious, the poor guy had practically been mauled by Juvia any time he was there. Margo was actually surprised that she didn't hear the woman fawning over him at that moment.

Margo yawned and attempted to go back to sleep while Zepplin nuzzled under the sheets with her. It had been a long night and she didn't feel like dealing with the world yet. The previous night had been the first night in the past week that everyone was fully healed from Laxus's attack and they had celebrated; and Margo found that Fairy Tail always celebrated hard. There was much drinking and card games and bets and music and dancing and everything else under the sun that could be done at the guild. She had actually taken Cana up on her challenge of a drinking contest. Margo could hold her liquor well and she figured it wouldn't be that hard of a challenge. The brunette had clearly proven her wrong. Somehow, Margo had eventually ended up on the floor with Cana laughing in triumph over her. Though, the card mage did give her some credit. Margo had been one of the few people to come close to beating her.

Margo could vaguely remember Aero scolding her, but laughing while doing so. She was pretty sure that he had been plastered himself. It was late into the night, more like early morning, when she left the guild. She was also pretty sure that Dante had to carry her home. She couldn't remember much of what happened after losing the contest with Cana. Though, she did remember losing 100,000 jewels to the woman from the 500,000 she had won from the Miss Fairy Tail contest. At least she still had 400,000 jewels left. She wouldn't have to worry about rent for a little while.

Just as she was about to fall back asleep with a smile on her face from thinking about the previous night, the loud banging started up at her door again.

"I'm not kidding around Margo!" Gray shouted, "Get up! The Master is requesting your presence at the guild!"

"Yeah right," Margo retorted, annoyed at not being left alone, "This is probably just your way of getting back at me for the past week. Nice try," she said, pulling the sheets tighter around her. A headache was starting to form from the hangover she knew she was going to be having that day.

"I told you she wouldn't believe me," Gray said to someone outside the door that was with him, "I don't know why you requested I do this instead of yourself."

"Because," a voice answered, Margo registering it as Erza's, "You still have one day left to do what we say and I say that you have to be the one to wake her up."

"Well she ain't listening to me!" Gray shouted.

"Go away!" Margo shouted, throwing a pillow at the door, "How annoying!"

Silence followed Margo's words, and the woman was starting to believe that the two people had left her alone. She wasn't that lucky though since her door was suddenly busted open. The wooden door flew above her bed, barely missing her head. It then landed in the wall opposite from where it had been facing.

"What the hell?!" Margo shouted as she popped up into a sitting position, "Are you crazy?!"

"You were told to get up," Erza stated, "Don't make me say it again. The Master wants to see you."

"Fine, whatever," Margo answered, throwing the blankets off of her. She stomped over to her dresser, pulled out some clothes and then headed towards her bathroom, "But I expect my door to be in proper working order when I'm done with my shower!" she yelled before slamming the bathroom door shut.

Margo grumbled as she stood under the hot water. Normally, she didn't like to take a long time in the shower, but she decided to take her time today. Partly to get back at Erza for kicking her door in, but mostly because her head was pounding and she was still so tired. Whatever Makarov was requesting her for better be good or else there would be hell to pay. Margo continued to stay under the pouring water, letting the heat soak into her skin. She was sure that she would have fallen asleep if there hadn't been a light knock on the bathroom door.

"You better hurry up," Gray said, "I'm sure you don't want Erza knocking in the bathroom door."

"Yeah, I'd rather not have that," Margo answered, "I'll be out soon."

Margo finished her shower up and dressed in the clothes that she had grabbed. It was her usual attire, jean shorts and a tank top, but her top was in a solid blue color instead of the camouflage she normally wore. She had gone shopping with Levy and Mirajane with the money she had won from the contest. She got some new clothes, the two women being nice enough to help her find them. They even went as far as convincing her to get some dresses along with her tomboy clothes, though Margo was sure the dresses would hang in her closet for a long while. They had also helped her buy some things to decorate her apartment with. She had gotten a couch and a fluffy recliner as well as a cherry wood coffee table. Though, the best things that she had bought was the record player and a plethora of records to play on it, all ranging from blues to rock to country music. It was currently sitting across from the couch in place of a TV since she couldn't watch TV. The two women had also been nice enough to find some things to decorate the walls with and hang them up for her. Even if she couldn't see what they looked like, the two women had assured her they were in her taste. They had told her they were mostly posters of the bands or singers she liked. Mirajane had also found a nice frame to put her picture in from the festival and it was currently setting on her dresser. Margo honestly couldn't thank them enough for helping her out with it all.

Once Margo was finished brushing her teeth, she exited the bathroom. She walked towards the door that led to the hallway. She grabbed for the doorknob and found that it was where it was supposed to be. She sighed in relief at knowing they had fixed her door. She walked out and shut the door behind her, feeling two people in front of her.

"You ready?" Gray asked.

"Yeah," Margo answered, rubbing her head in pain. Her headache was still there, throbbing as bad as ever.

"I told you, you wouldn't win against Cana," Erza stated, "Now you're paying for it."

"Shut up," Margo snapped.

"Don't worry," Gray smirked, "Mirajane usually has something to cure a hangover."

"I hope so," she said, walking with the both of them towards the guild. Zepplin walked beside her like normal, sniffing around the grass when they made it outside. They made it to Fairy Tail in a few minutes, the guild already filled with its mages.

"Good morning Mar-chan!" Levy called out happily upon seeing the group of three walk into the guild.

"Margo!" Dante shouted, rushing up on Margo.

"Oh god," Margo groaned when Dante picked her up and twirled her around in a hug. She covered her mouth with a hand, feeling herself about to heave up last night's dinner.

"Put her down, you idiot," Aero grumbled, pulling Margo out of Dante's grasp. He set her down on the ground, making sure she was balanced and not about to blow chunks before he let her go, "Go see Mira. She'll have something to make you feel better."

"Thanks," Margo said quickly before running up to bar. It seemed that Aero was like her after a morning of drinking and she was thankful for that. She didn't understand how Dante could act like nothing had happened the night before and function like normal. She was pretty sure that he had been drinking just as heavily as her and Aero. She supposed she would just have to avoid the larger man during a hangover.

"Good morning Margo," Mirajane said warmly, "What can I get you?"

"Moring Mira," she answered weakly, "Aero said you had something that'll make me feel better," she said, setting on a stool and laying her head against the cool wood of the bar.

"Hangover?"

"Yeah."

"Give me a moment," she laughed lightly, "I have just the thing to help."

Margo laid in silence while she listened to Aero yell at Dante for twirling her around.

"Real men don't get hangovers!" Dante shouted.

"She's not a man!" Aero snapped, "We can't all be like you and pop up like a daisy the day after drinking all night."

Margo tuned them out after that, considering all their yelling was only making her headache worse. Before she could focus her attention on anything else, a large mug had been sat down in front of her. She lifted herself up off the bar to investigate what it was.

"This should help you," Mirajane smiled, "It's my own concoction."

"What's in it?" Margo asked, sniffing at the liquid in the mug. She felt the liquid fizzing up at her nose and she was suddenly not feeling so sure about the drink, though she could smell a hint of oranges in it.

"That's my little secret," she chuckled, "Don't worry, it won't kill you or anything."

"That's reassuring," Margo said before shrugging and taking a large swig of whatever Mirajane had given her. She had expected it to taste bad, like anything that was supposed to make you feel better; but it was actually fairly refreshing. She could definitely taste oranges in it and something close to cream soda. She let the taste settle on her tongue for a moment longer before downing the rest of the mug. Whatever Mirajane had created, it definitely did the trick. Margo didn't feel sick anymore and the headache was gone. She was still a little worn out from the late night, but at least she didn't feel like she was going to die anymore, "Wow! That's amazing Mira! Thanks!"

"You're welcome," Mirajane grinned, "Just come see me any time after a late night."

"Will do," Margo smiled back, "Now, I was told that the old man wanted to see me."

"Yes I did," Makarov said, suddenly appearing next to Margo. He bopped her on the head with a paper fan, "And quit calling me old man. You're supposed to respect your elders."

"Not when they drag me out of bed this early in the morning," Margo retorted, "You better have a good reason for waking me up."

"I do," he answered, "We're just waiting for the others."

"Others?" Margo asked.

"Yo! Old man!" Natsu shouted as soon as he entered the guild, "What do you want this early in the morning?!" he asked, Happy flying in with him. Lucy walked in after the two with an exasperated look on her face. Apparently Margo wasn't the only person that was hard to wake up.

"See? I'm not the only one who says it," Margo snickered.

Makarov twitched in annoyance, but said nothing to her in return. He smacked Natsu on the head with the paper fan as well when he approached him at the bar, "Respect your elders!" he shouted.

"What the hell?!" Natsu shouted back.

"Never you mind," Makarov replied, "Now, is Gajeel here as well."

"I'm here, old man," Gajeel answered, causing Margo to full out laugh at this point.

Makarov gripped the paper fan tightly, "What's wrong with all of you?! I'm your Master and yet you continue to call me old man!"

"Well you're old," the three Dragon Slayers answered, all three earning a smack on the head from him.

"Onto business," Makarov stated while the three dragons stood with veins popping out of their foreheads. Several guild members laughed at the scene, annoying the three even more, "I have a mission for the three of you," he said, getting straight to the point.

Silence passed through the guild, most members surprised about the announcement.

"You're kidding, right?" Margo finally asked.

"Why would I be kidding?" Makarov asked.

"You did see what happened to the cathedral, right?" Margo continued, "Do you really think it's a good idea to send three Dragon Slayers on the same mission?"

"I have faith in you three," Makarov grinned.

"You can't seriously expect me to work with these two," Gajeel said.

"Hey!" both Margo and Natsu shouted.

"This is exactly why I'm sending you on a mission together," Makarov said, "You're all Dragon Slayers. You should learn how to work together. You'll be stronger that way."

"I'm plenty strong enough without their help, old man," Natsu announced, earning another smack from the paper fan.

"Or so you think," Makarov retorted, "You three were only able to defeat Laxus because you worked together. I want to see that strength grow, and so you will be going on a mission together. There will be no argument on this."

The three stayed silent before huffing and crossing their arms over their chests, "Fine," they all said.

"But I'm not making any promises that I won't knock them out if they piss me off," Margo stated.

"The same goes for me," Gajeel added, "And they better not slow me down."

"You're the slow one, metal brain!" Natsu shouted, "I'll finish this job before you two can even reach our destination."

"Enough!" Makarov shouted, instantly shutting up the trio, "Now, would you like the details or should I just send you out on this mission blind?"

"What the hell?!" Margo shouted, "That's not funny!"

"Whoops," Makarov laughed, causing Margo's eye to twitch in irritation.

"Just get on with the details," Margo growled.

"There is a place a little ways from here called Marigold Marsh Resort, obviously in the town of Marigold," Makarov explained, "The town itself is doing fine, but the resort has been having some problems. The resort has been losing customers lately and the Mayor of Marigold is worried since they make a lot of their money from the resort due to its popularity."

"What sort of problems has the resort been having?" Margo asked.

"Well, a big part of the resort is their hot springs," Makarov answered, "Lately, they've been losing water."

"How the hell do you lose water?" Gajeel asked.

"That's why they have asked for our help," the master said, "They usually have about twenty pools open at any one time, whether it be a large, open pool or a more private one. Though, they have only been able to open three for the last couple of months. One for men, one for women and a private pool for higher paying clients. If they continue going on like this, the resort will have to close and the town will hurt because of it," he explained, "I want you three to go to Marigold and check out what's going on. This will be a good mission for you all since you have to use some brain power and not just brute force. Work together to figure out what's happening at the resort."

"Can we opt out?" Margo asked. It's not that she couldn't handle the mission, but all the talk of water made her nervous. She didn't like it at all. The thought of having to find missing water left an uneasy feeling within her. She didn't even like to soak in a hot spring. It was just an all-around bad idea to send her on this type of mission.

"No, you can't opt out," Makarov stated, "Not after I already told the Mayor you would be coming. I told you there would be no arguments on this."

Margo stayed quiet, her eyes fixed on the floor. She knew she wouldn't be able to fight Makarov on the subject after he already decided on things. She would just have to suck it up and finish the mission as soon as possible.

Natsu and Gajeel quirked an eyebrow at the woman before exchanging glances with each other. At first, they had thought she wanted to opt out of the mission because they were her partners, but they quickly scratched that idea. Something deeper was bothering her, but they weren't about to call her out on it; not in front of everyone anyways.

"You're in luck with this mission though," Makarov began again, "The resort will be paying for all your expenses. Food and board will be taken care of since you will be staying at the resort in order to be closer to the investigation scene. They will be giving you their best rooms and access to their private pool, so don't go destroying things, got it?"

"Yeah," the three of them answered.

"Cool," Dante grinned, "A resort stay."

"Yeah, some time to relax will be nice," Aero added.

Margo twitched at their words, annoyed that they thought they would be going just because she was assigned to this mission. One of the few perks of the mission was that they wouldn't be with her. Not that she didn't enjoy being around her brothers, but it was about damn time for her to get a break from them.

Before she could say anything to them, Makarov beat her to the punch, "You two will not be going on this mission."

"What?!" both Aero and Dante shouted.

"This mission is only for Natsu, Margo and Gajeel," he answered, "The resort will only be paying for their stay, so no one else is to go with them. They need to figure out how to work as a fully functional team without outside help. Besides, I'm sure Margo will have her hands full with the two men. She doesn't need extra idiots to take care of."

"We're not idiots," Aero retorted, "And we could just go and pay on our own."

"Yeah!" Dante added, "Real men watch over their sisters!"

"Not this time," Makarov stated sternly, "I have other missions for you two to complete while these three are gone. And I have also taken the liberty of temporarily banning you from Marigold Town. You will be kicked out as soon as you get there. That goes for anyone else that tries to go with them, got it?"

"Tch," Aero responded, "Whatever."

Margo sighed in relief. The mission may go off without a hitch with her brothers not being able to go. She then thought about who she was going on the mission with and sighed in exasperation. She highly doubted that things would work out so easily with Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb around. More than likely, she would have to take charge in order to keep things from getting out of hand. Though, taking charge would be a hard feat with two arrogant males around. She was sure both of them would try to be the leader of the mission as well. The more Margo thought about, the more annoyed she was becoming with this mission. She silently cursed the old man sitting in front of her.

"You three are dismissed," Makarov said, "Here are the directions to Marigold. You should be able to walk there within a day or so," he explained, handing the directions to Gajeel. Margo couldn't read them and Natsu would lose them, so Makarov knew the only choice for the directions was the larger man.

"Wouldn't it be quicker by train?" Gajeel asked.

"No!" both Natsu and Margo shouted.

"I'm surprised that you can even travel by train," Makarov said to Gajeel, "These two get motion sickness. I assumed you would too as a fellow Dragon Slayer."

"That's because they're just weak," Gajeel smirked.

"Whatever," Margo huffed, "One of these days, you'll understand. Unless you want to take care of two sick people."

Gajeel made a disgusted face, "Hell no."

"Then you'll deal with walking."

"All right," Makarov interrupted them, "Go pack for your stay and then head out for your mission."

The three Dragon Slayers nodded at him and began walking out of the guild. They quickly agreed to meet at the edge of town within an hour before going their separate ways. Margo was making her way back to Fairy Hills with Zepplin when her brothers suddenly showed up on either side of her.

"You better be careful," Aero said.

"Yeah, and make sure those two take care of you," Dante added.

"I know," Margo answered, "But you do know I'll be coming back, right? It's not like I'm leaving for more than a week or so."

"Still," Dante said, "We want to make sure you'll be okay."

"And don't think we didn't notice the way you reacted to hearing about the water that's involved on this mission," Aero stated.

Margo froze upon hearing Aero's words, "You noticed?"

"Of course we noticed, stupid," Aero answered.

"Aero doesn't like water either," Dante smiled softly, "And I don't like lightning. It all comes from what happened fourteen years ago. It would be surprising if you didn't dislike one of those things."

Margo stayed quiet for a moment, "I hate water and I hate storms," she said lowly, "Because of both those things, we were separated."

"That and we almost drowned," Aero stated.

"There's that too," Margo said.

The three siblings became quiet again before Aero spoke, "Just take care of yourself while you're away. Don't hesitate to ask the other two for help, even if they are idiots."

"I will," Margo said, giving them a small smile.

"We love you, Margo," Dante said, hugging her tightly.

"Yeah, we'll be here to welcome you home, you brat," Aero smiled, ruffling her hair playfully.

"You better be, you jerk," Margo grinned, batting his hand away.

"Be good!" they both called out before they headed back to the guild.

Margo smiled while waving to them. When she felt that they were gone, she turned back towards Fairy Hills; feeling a least a little bit better about her current situation.

**. : + : .**

Margo hummed lightly as she ate some of her hard candy she had gotten at the festival while she walked. She would throw a piece to Zepplin to keep him satisfied as well. She was a little early to head for the edge of town, but she didn't mind. She had packed enough clothes and toiletries in her backpack and attached a rolled up sleeping bag to the top of the pack. She figured they would be stopping to camp at some point before making it to Marigold.

She was currently making her way through town, enjoying all the sounds and smells before she had to leave for a while. An idea then popped into her head and she smirked.

"I think we have time for a pit stop, Zepplin," she announced.

Zepplin easily followed her through town until they came to a familiar bakery. They had been to Nick's bakery a few times the past week, but she decided to make one more visit before leaving for her mission. The door was closed this time, so a little bell tinkled when she pushed the door open.

"Margo," Nick smiled, standing behind the counter this time instead of being in the back like he normally was.

"Hey Nick," Margo answered.

"I can't believe you're here again," he chuckled.

"Well, I've been having some time off recently," Margo smiled, "But I'm actually about to leave for a mission soon. I wanted to stop and pick some things up before I left. I might be gone for a little while."

"I see," he said, "Where will you be heading this time? I hope it's better than that bouncer job you took a little while back."

"I'm heading to Marigold Town with two other members of Fairy Tail," she answered, "It should be pretty interesting since they're giving us free room and board at their resort."

"I've actually heard of that place," he mentioned, "It's supposed to be pretty nice."

"I hope so. It would be nice to catch a small break while we're there."

"You'll have to tell me about it when you get back."

"Of course!"

"So what can I get you today?"

"Well, I was hoping that you had attempted the request I made of you last time I was here," she smiled.

"I still don't know why you wanted metal pieces baked into some muffins," he sighed, "But I did manage to get them done."

"You're the best!" Margo said, "And you put the metal into the flavor I asked for?"

"Yeah, pumpkin muffins, right?"

"Yeah."

"I hope you're not trying to prank anyone with these," he laughed.

"No, this is actually a legit gift," Margo said, "I really do appreciate the odd request."

"Anything for my top buyer," Nick said, boxing up the metal pumpkin muffins, "Anything else?"

"Well, of course my usual peach muffin and cherry tarts, but could you throw in an assortment of cookies? About two dozen of them should work."

"I hope Dante didn't send you for them," he replied, grabbing her order and boxing it up.

"Nope, my team members just eat a lot," she laughed, "And do you have anything spicy?"

"Spicy?" Nick questioned, "I do have some chocolate chili truffles. Would those work?"

"Perfect!"

Nick quickly finished up with her order and Margo paid him what she owed. She knew that both Natsu and Gajeel would appreciate the snacks, even if they wouldn't admit it out loud.

'Well, I'm sure Natsu will thank me,' she thought, 'Gajeel will be the harder one to get a 'thank you' out of.'

"Thanks again, Nick!" Margo smiled.

"Anytime," he said, "You be careful on your mission and I'll have a fresh batch of peach muffins waiting for you when you get back."

"Sounds great! Bye!" she called out before exiting the bakery.

Margo had somehow managed to make it to the edge of town while carrying four boxes. The bottom box was filled with the cookies while the next box had her and Zepplin's treats. Gajeel's was next with Natsu's smaller box taking over the top of the stack. She sat them on the ground while she waited for the two men to meet up with her.

She pulled out the box holding her muffin and Zepplin's tarts. She threw away the box in a nearby trashcan and when she turned back around, she noticed an extra figure standing next to Zepplin. She didn't worry too much, though, since Zepplin wasn't barking at the figure; that and the fact that she could smell a familiar mix of iron and stone on the figure.

"Geez, how much food did you bring?" Gajeel asked, staring at all the white, bakery boxes.

"I did pack something extra special for you, but if you don't want it…" Margo shrugged with a smirk.

"I never said I didn't want anything," he retorted.

"Then don't complain."

"So what did you get me?" he asked, sniffing at the boxes.

Margo grinned while pulling his box out and handing it to him, "Don't worry, they're not peach muffins," she chuckled before he could say anything.

Gajeel popped the top of the box open to reveal four perfect muffins. He sniffed them to make sure she was lying. A large whiff of pumpkin and spices hit his noise instead of the sweet peach smell he was used to.

"I figured you'd like something less sweet and with more of a bite to it," she smiled at him, "I asked Nick to add a little more spice to the muffin mix and a little something special as well."

Gajeel quirked an eyebrow at her, but he didn't shove the box back her. He had to admit he liked this smell of muffin much better than the peach one. It was something that he could find himself eating more often. He sniffed the muffin again, trying to see if he could smell the extra ingredient that Margo wouldn't tell him about. Though, he couldn't smell anything over all the spices.

"Would you stop sniffing them and just eat one already?" Margo asked.

"Yeah, yeah," he said, pulling a muffin from the box. He bit into it, already liking the taste of it. Though, his teeth quickly clinked into a few pieces of metal. His eyes went wide as his teeth easily slid through the metal. He chewed on the metal and spiced muffin before swallowing, "Shit! That's amazing!" he said, still shocked by the metal in the muffin, "How did you manage to get the metal in it?"

"That's Nick's secret," she grinned, "I only made the request, he was the one that actually baked them."

"He can bake for me any time," Gajeel smirked, eating the rest of the muffin in his hand.

"I'm glad that you like them," Margo said.

Gajeel was in mid-chew when he stopped to look at Margo's smiling face. He flushed slightly, thinking about how she came up with the idea just for him. He managed to swallow what was in his mouth, "Gi Hee, and you can make a request any time for me too, Siren."

"You're welcome," she laughed, knowing that his response was the closest thing she would get to a 'thank you' from the man, "That's for watching Zepplin a while back."

"Hey guys!" Natsu shouted, running up to them.

"About time, Salamander," Gajeel grumbled, taking another muffin out to eat.

"Margooooooooo," Natsu whined, "You got him more muffins?" he pouted, trying to reach for one of the treats in Gajeel's box.

"These are mine!" Gajeel shouted, smacking Natsu upside the head.

"You wouldn't want those anyway, Natsu," Margo stated, "And if you stop pouting, I'll give you something too."

"What did you get me?" the rosette asked with a childlike expression, both him and Happy peering at the white boxes with wide eyes.

Margo picked up the smallest box and handed it to Natsu, "They're called chocolate chili truffles. I hope you like them."

Natsu opened the box to see a circle of truffles sitting in it. He picked a truffle up and sniffed at it. Upon smelling the spice it held, his eyes began to sparkle and he plopped the treat into his mouth, "Whoa! These are awesome! They get me all fired up, Margo! Thanks!"

"You're welcome."

"What's in the last box?" Gajeel asked, munching on his second muffin.

"Cookies for all of us," Margo answered, "And I do mean all of us, Natsu."

"Why do you have to point me out?!" he shouted.

"Because you eat like a crazy person," Margo huffed, "Are you guys ready?" she asked, picking up the cookie box and taking a bite of her own muffin finally.

"Yeah, let's get this mission started!" Natsu yelled.

"Just don't get in my way, Salamander," Gajeel said.

"Whatever, metal head," Natsu retorted, "You'll be the one getting into people's way. What with that big, clunky body of yours."

"Shut up! You're the one that doesn't know how to control that damn fire of yours!"

Margo rolled her eyes while throwing Zepplin one of his tarts. This was definitely going to be a long mission and Margo was glad that she at least had the hellhound around to keep her sane. Otherwise, she was sure they would be coming back with one less member of the group.

* * *

**A/N: **There you go! Hope you all enjoyed it! I'll have the next one up soon!

Remember to review please!

Yours Truly,

MyDearWatson


	15. Fear

**A/N: **Boom! Another chapter!

So I hope you all enjoy this one. The next chapter will be introducing a new character, so I'm excited about that; but I had to put this chapter in to explain what the resort was like and to build the relationships between the three Dragon Slayers (Gajeel and Margo more so). I felt bad at the end of the chapter since it wasn't happy, but it was needed for the opening scene for the next chapter.

Anyways...

I would like to thank Link, MusicOfMadness, 2takuya and Emmatin for their reviews! And I also have over 50 reviews now! You guys are just so awesome! ^.^

Link - LOL, I know you want to see Kreepy Kaiden get a beat down, but be patient. His time will eventually come. Plus, I think you're going to enjoy this arc. And yes, something serious will be happening soon. It's kinda the start of it in this chapter, but you'll see more of it in the upcoming chapters (obviously lol). And yes, slowly building Margo and Gajeel's relationship...with muffins lol! But more things are to come with them. I can't wait! . Hope you enjoy this chapter!

MusicOfMadness - Actually, pumpkin muffins are awesome! I love them in the fall! I wish I had an awesome bakery like Nick's too, but I normally just go to Starbucks for baked goods, lol. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

2takuya - LOL! One of my friends that reads this says the same thing! He always wants the next chapter the instant after he finishes reading the current one. I'm sorry that the chapters keep stopping like they do, but I have to explain things. I can't just throw the people into situations without explaining what's going on. Plus, I'm wanting to build up relationships properly. I don't like that instant 'I love you' kind of stuff. Just bear with the chapters and you'll eventually get the stuff you're wanting to see. Promise! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Emmatin - Thank you very much! ^.^ Glad you're enjoying the story still! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

I don't own Fairy Tail!

Please enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 15: Fear**

"What the hell, metal brain?!" Natsu shouted, "You ate the last cookie!"

"I didn't see your name on it," Gajeel grunted in return.

"Yeah, but you had a muffin left from yesterday," Natsu retorted, "So the cookie should have been mine!"

"You snooze, you lose. Gi Hee," Gajeel laughed.

"Iron face!"

"Fire breath!"

"Clunky freak!"

"Blazing idiot!"

Margo groaned as the two men continued to argue. She ran a hand through her bangs in frustration as the small group walked towards Marigold. It was practically all the two had done the entire day before and most of that morning. The only time they hadn't been fighting with each other was when they had stopped to eat and camp out; and when a small group of bandits tried to attack them and steal their things. Margo had hoped that the two men had taken their anger out on the bandits, but they just started arguing right after the fight had ended about who had taken down more enemies. Margo hadn't gotten much sleep that night either since she was afraid that they would start yelling at each other at any moment. She had even given up on stopping their fighting. She would yell at them only to get five minutes of peace before they started up again.

'Seriously,' Margo thought, 'How can two men keep going like this? It's ridiculous!'

A vein popped out of her head as she stomped down on the ground. The stomp caused vibrations within the ground that revealed a large sign in front of them. Margo assumed this to be the welcoming sign to Marigold, but she couldn't be absolutely sure since she couldn't read. She waited for one of the two men to say something, but they just continued arguing.

"Will you two SHUT UP!" she shouted, causing both men to freeze in mid-punch. Once things were quiet, Margo pointed towards the sign, "What does that say?"

"Welcome to Marigold Town," both men answered.

"Thank God we made it," Margo sighed as she started walking again. Zepplin trotted along with her while Happy sat on her head. The blue cat had become bored of the two men's fighting a long time ago and had opted to set on Margo's head. Margo really hadn't minded since he stayed fairly quiet, only asking her a few questions here and there about the things she liked, "Come on you two idiots. We have to go check in at the resort."

"Don't call us idiots," Natsu huffed as he and Gajeel caught up with her.

"Well, you sure argue like one," Margo retorted.

"He started it!" Natsu yelled, pointing at Gajeel.

"You're the one who started whining about a damn cookie," Gajeel grumbled.

"Enough!" Margo hissed, "It's one thing for you bozos to argue in the middle of nowhere. We're in a town now, so learn how to keep your mouths shut."

"Geez, what crawled up your butt and died?" Natsu mumbled.

"Now look here, wise guy!" Margo yelled, turning on the Fire Dragon Slayer.

"Are you the three that have been sent from Fairy Tail?" a voice interrupted Margo before she could say anything else to Natsu.

The small group turned to face a middle-aged man with peppered black hair. He wore a pressed suit and tie with shinning, black shoes. He walked with a cherry wood cane with an orange marigold made out of glass on the top of it.

"Yeah," Gajeel answered, "Who are you?"

"I am the mayor of this town, Michal Shudder," he smiled warmly, "I'm pleased to meet you all."

"It's nice to meet you too," Margo answered before one of the men on her team could reply, "I'm Margo Lennox. These are my partners," she began motioning to the others, "Gajeel Redfox, Natsu Dragneel, Zepplin and Happy."

"Yes, your Master was kind enough to explain all who would be coming," Michal said, "I am very happy and relieved that you came to help us. Did your master explain what was going on here in Marigold?"

"Yes, he did," Margo said, "And we'll be able to help you figure out and solve what's going on here with no problems," she grinned.

"That's good to hear," the mayor smiled, "I'd be more than happy to lead you to the resort since you know all of the details that are going on. I'm sure you'll be able to find out more at the actual resort rather than speaking with me."

"Yes, I suppose so," Margo agreed, "And we would appreciate the guide to the resort since we don't know the area very well yet. Thank you."

"Follow me then," he said, beginning to walk farther into town. The group began following him, looking around to take in their surroundings, "We don't have many people staying at the resort at the moment. There are a few families and couples that are there, but they will be in the open baths for men and women," he explained, "I have reserved the private area for all of you. You will have the largest suite we have to offer and the private hot spring is all yours as well, so please do enjoy it even if you are here on business."

"Of course," Margo smiled in return.

Both Gajeel and Natsu stared at Margo in curiosity. She seemed so proper in that moment that it caught them off guard. She always came off just as hot tempered as themselves at the guild that it was weird to see her acting differently. They assumed that this was the business woman in her, changing to fit the client better; and it seemed to be working well since Michal was taking a fast liking to her.

The three Dragon Slayers took a moment to take in their surroundings. They could hear and see people laughing and talking in the market area of the town. The townspeople didn't seemed to be fazed by whatever was happening at the resort; that or the mayor was taking great lengths to keep everything under wraps from them.

"The people of the town don't seem worried about what's going on," Margo stated.

"Most of them don't know what's going on," Michal replied lowly, "Just the workers at the resort know about the incidents going on and they have been sworn to secrecy to keep rumors from spreading. I don't want the entire town to be in a tizzy about this. It would wreck business more than the missing water already has."

"But, I mean, aren't they gonna eventually find out?" Margo asked, "Wouldn't it be better if they were prepared for the worst?"

"That's why I brought you three in," he answered, "I'm sure you'll figure out what's going on before anyone has to find out about it in the town. I don't want to ruin their happiness," he smiled softly.

"If that's what you want," Margo shrugged, "We'll make sure to solve what's going on before they find out."

"I like that answer," Michal said, stopping in front of a large building, "Well, here we are. Marigold Marsh Resort. I have other business to attend to, so I will leave you in the capable hands of Miss Patterson."

"You can just call me Jean," a woman in her late thirties replied with a warm smile. Her deep, violet hair was wrapped up in a loose bun with pieces of wavy hair accenting the sides of her face. A dark red marigold was stuck into the top of her bun. Her eyes were a warm, chocolate brown and she was dressed in a deep red kimono, "I am the owner and manager of the resort and I am happy to have you here."

Margo smiled back at her, hearing the honest happiness in her voice, "We're happy to be here," she nodded at the woman before turning back to Michal, "Thank you for showing us the way."

"You're quiet welcome," he answered, "But all the thanks must go to you three for coming to help us. I will check on you all soon to see how things are going. Enjoy yourselves in the meantime."

The three Dragon Slayers nodded at him before Michal walked away.

"Come with me please," Jean stated.

The group followed her inside the resort, their eyes going wide from the inside of the place. Margo could feel how large place was with fluffy couches filling the lounge area and huge chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Natsu and Gajeel stared at the sheer fanciness of the place. The walls were panted in a creamy ivory and beautiful paintings were hung up on the walls. The floors were hard wood and cleaned to shine like the sun. The lounge area was huge with an expensive television set, a large, high tech radio, a small library area and a giant fireplace made out of red bricks. The lounge area was off to their left while a wide check in counter sat in front of them and a restaurant and outside patio was off to their right. All three could smell delicious things being cooked in the restaurant. The patio was filled with glass tables with large, cream colored umbrellas and comfy porch chairs.

"Holy hell," Gajeel mumbled. He had never been in this nice of a place before and he was pretty sure the other two hadn't either, considering their wide eyes. Now he understood why Makarov had told them not to destroy anything, but he couldn't help the feeling of uneasiness in his stomach. The three of them would definitely stick out in a high class place like this. He was suddenly thankful that they were given the private area. They could keep out of eye sight better that way.

Jean talked to another woman at the large front counter before turning back to the group with a smile and keys in her hands, "Your room is up on the third floor. I will show you to it."

"Uh…thanks," Margo said, still a little taken aback by the size of the place.

Jean chuckled at her reaction, "All first timers are always surprised by the resort. Even as the owner, I'm still a little awed by it."

"I'd be surprised if you weren't," Natsu stated, still looking all around him.

The group walked down a hallway passed the restaurant before coming to an elevator. Margo and Natsu stopped right outside the elevator doors, causing Jean to look at them with curiosity.

"Aren't you coming up?" Jean asked.

"We'll take the stairs," Margo laughed nervously.

"Freaks," Gajeel grumbled as he rolled his eyes and pushed the button that took him and Jean to the third floor.

Margo and Natsu quickly made their way up the stairs, which were located right next to the elevator. They laughed at Gajeel since they made it up before him, causing the iron dragon to grumble at them even more. Jean simply laughed at their antics before leading them down a long hall way.

There were only a few doors on the floor, but it made sense since it was supposed to be more of a private area. Jean walked to the end of the hallway to a large white door that faced them. She stuck one of the keys into the slot to open the door and welcomed the group inside.

The room was just as astonishing as the bottom floor. When they first walked in there was a large open kitchen area with all the most updated utensils. The fridge was a sleek silver along with all the other appliances. There was a huge bar countertop made out of marble that cut the kitchen off from the living room. The living room had thick, soft ivory carpet with a large couch and recliner of the same color. A large, plasma screen television sat in front of the couch and a cherry wood coffee table was in the middle of the living room. Two side tables made out of the same wood sat on either side of the couch with white lamps on them. There was a door on either side of the living room. Both doors led to giant bedrooms, one holding two beds and the other holding one bed. Each bed was large enough to fit three or four people in them with soft blankets in colors or ivory and gold along with big fluffy pillows. Each room had a dresser in them made of the same cherry wood as everything else. Each bedroom also had a bathroom attached to them as well with both a shower and an extra-large tub in them. The final thing that the room had was a sliding glass door that lead to an open patio that sat right outside of the private hot spring. The hot spring was huge with steam rising from it and rocks and beautiful vegetation surrounding it.

"I hope you enjoy your stay here," Jean bowed to them before handing Natsu the three keys to the room, "If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you," Margo breathed out.

Jean chuckled at their reactions again before leaving the room and closing the door behind her.

The three mages instantly dropped their bags in shock as soon as Jean was out of the room.

"I can't believe this is seriously where we're staying," Natsu said.

"No wonder no one else was allowed to come," Margo stated, "It would have cost too much for the resort to let anyone else stay for free."

"Well, there's no use just standing here," Gajeel smirked, "Who's gonna get that room all to themselves?"

The three of them stared at each other before they all took off running for the one man bedroom. They threw each other out of the way the entire way to the door of the room. The three of them were stuck against the door frame, each one trying to get in.

"I ain't sharing a room with that flame freak!" Gajeel shouted.

"But you'll share one with Margo," Natsu stated, causing the other two to look away from each other, "So that means I get the single room!"

"Neither of you get this room!" Margo yelled, "I'm the only girl, so that means I get it!"

"You're about as girly as that ice prick!" Natsu shouted, "So you can't use that as your trump card!"

"I'm the oldest, so that means I get it!" Gajeel growled.

"Bull shit!" the other two yelled.

Margo then whistled loudly. Zepplin ran from his spot in the living room and easily slipped through the fighting trio into the room. He jumped on the bed and barked in triumph.

"HA!" Margo laughed, "Zepplin made it in first, so that means I win the room!"

"What?!" the other two men shouted.

Margo somehow managed to squeeze herself into the room, causing the two men to fall to the floor with a hard thud. She pulled her eyelid down and stuck her tongue out at them before pushing them out the door and slamming it shut.

"What the hell, woman?!" Gajeel shouted, pounding on the door, "Open up!"

"Hell no!" Margo shouted back, "I won the room fair and square!"

"Only 'cause you used Zepplin!" Natsu yelled, "That's not fair!"

"Just because I was smart enough to use my partner and you weren't, doesn't mean you get to whine about it," Margo chuckled.

"Dammit!" both men shouted before glaring at each other.

"You better not do anything weird in your sleep," Gajeel grumbled before moving to grab his bag and heading towards their room.

"Screw you!" Natsu shouted as he plopped himself on the couch with his arms crossed.

"Natsu! Look at all this food!" Happy said, hoping to get Natsu in a better mood.

Natsu quirked an eyebrow at the cat, walking into the kitchen. The fridge and pantry was stocked with all kinds of food, "Whoa! Jack pot!" Natsu shouted, diving into the pantry and pulling out several types of junk food and laying it across the marble counter.

Margo and Gajeel came out of their rooms upon hearing Natsu's and Happy's shouts. They couldn't really help their curiosity, considering their growling stomachs. Gajeel was the first to approach the counter, giving Natsu a disgusted look as he began to dig into the junk food.

"You idiot," Gajeel said, grabbing the food away from the rosette.

"Hey!" Natsu yelled.

"First off, if you keep eating like that, there won't be any food for the rest of us," Gajeel grunted, "And second, you're gonna make yourself sick eating all that junk."

"So? Are you gonna cook for us? If not, then give me back the food!"

"When I cook, I sure as hell won't be making any for you!"

"Wait," Margo finally spoke, causing the men to stop their arguing, "Can you cook?"

"Tch, course I can," Gajeel replied, "Don't tell me you two don't know how."

"No," both Margo and Natsu huffed.

"Seriously, you two wouldn't know what to do without me," Gajeel grumbled before moving into the kitchen and throwing Natsu out, "Stay out of my way if you want something to eat."

Natsu huffed as he moved to grab his bag, "I'll be in the hot spring until dinner is ready then," he announced before entering his room to change.

Margo took a seat at a bar stool that sat on the other side of the large, marble counter while Zepplin curled up on the floor next to her.

"Aren't you going with him?" Gajeel asked as he dug through some cabinets for the things he needed.

"No, I don't really feel like it right now," she answered, hoping she wasn't showing any nervousness. She didn't want to show her fear to the two men, so she hoped that she would be able to come up with enough excuses in order to not get into the water.

Gajeel stared at her for a moment. She suddenly seemed uneasy. He figured maybe it was because she had to share the hot spring with two men, but then again, they had already decided to wear swimsuits. It was unusual for a hot spring, but it seemed to smooth over the awkwardness between everyone when the subject came up on their trip to Marigold. Gajeel thought about it for a moment longer, coming to the conclusion that Margo wasn't the shy type. So what brought on her sudden apprehension then? The Iron Dragon Slayer shrugged, seeing there wasn't a point of trying to figure it out at the moment.

"What are you gonna make?" Margo asked, hearing Gajeel open the fridge.

"That's for me to know and for you to find out," Gajeel smirked.

"That's no fair," Margo pouted, laying across the cool marble.

"Deal with it."

The two stayed quiet after that, but it was a content silence. After a few quiet minutes, Margo was snoring softly. She had been tired from the night before since she didn't get a lot of sleep, so she honestly couldn't help dozing off.

"Hey!" Gajeel shouted, "Don't fall asleep here!" he added, poking her cheek. Margo subconsciously waved his hand away from her and turned her head to face the opposite direction, "Tch," was all Gajeel replied with as he turned back to cooking. He vaguely heard Natsu slip out the sliding glass door with Happy, but he didn't look at them. He was too absorbed in his cooking.

About a half hour or so passed when he started poking Margo again, "Hey, wake up," he grunted, "Siren, get up!"

"What's your problem?" she asked sleepily.

"I'm not the one that fell asleep on the counter top," he retorted, "Now get up. Food's ready," he said, moving towards the sliding glass door, "Hey flame freak! You better get in here if you want anything to eat!"

"Whatever, metal brain!" Natsu shouted back, but got out of the water to come eat. Even if Gajeel had cooked it, Natsu wasn't stupid enough to pass up a free meal.

Margo sniffed the air smelling a sweet and spicy scent. Whatever it was that Gajeel had made, it smelled amazing. Natsu needed to hurry up and get in the damn room so they could eat. Once Natsu stepped inside the hotel room, Margo raced over to him, grabbed his arm and pulled him to the counter.

"Margo!" he shouted, "I'm wet!"

"I don't care!" she hissed, "I'm hungry and whatever he made smells good!"

Natsu took a moment to sniff the air, his mouth beginning to water when the spicy scent hit his nose, "Damn, he can actually cook!"

"Shut up!" Gajeel yelled, walking back to the counter to pass out the food.

"What is it?" Margo asked before taking a bite.

"Pineapple curry with shrimp."

Margo and Natsu both sniffed at the food one more time before finally deciding to take a bite. Both of their eyes widened at the taste. It definitely had a kick to it, but the pineapple took away the original heat. It was the perfect mix between sweet and spicy.

"This is amazing!" both Margo and Natsu announced before digging into the food.

"Thanks Gajeel," Margo grinned.

Gajeel flushed as he looked away from her, "Yeah, yeah. Just never say I didn't do anything for you two idiots."

The small group quickly finished their meal, Natsu and Margo doing the clean up since Gajeel had cooked.

"I'm going back out into the hot spring! Are you losers coming?" Natsu asked.

"I guess," Gajeel said as Natsu ran out the sliding glass door again. Gajeel quickly changed into a pair of long, black swimming trunks and came back out into the living room to see Margo sitting on the couch.

"Aren't you coming, Siren?" he asked.

"No, I'm too full from dinner," she answered quietly, her back facing the sliding back door.

Gajeel couldn't help the next words out of his mouth, but it's not like he was ever very eloquent with his words, "That's bull shit."

"Excuse me?!" Margo snapped, turning to face him.

"It's not like we're swimming, just soaking in the hot spring," he said, "So what's your problem?"

"I don't have a problem!"

"As I said before, bull shit," he growled, "Now what's going on with you? You originally wanted to opt out of the mission. Was it because you had to go with me and Natsu?"

"No!"

"Then you acted all nervous when I asked you if you were going out with Natsu to the hot spring earlier," he continued, "So what's the deal?"

"There's no deal!" she hissed, "I just don't want to go."

"That's too bad," he said, letting a smirk spread across his face, "I'll just throw you in if you don't tell me what's going on."

"You wouldn't," she said, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Wanna bet?"

Before Margo could make a run for it, Gajeel was on her and throwing her over his shoulder.

"Put me down, dammit!" she shouted, pounding her fists onto his back.

"Don't think so," he said smugly, tightening his hold on her waist. He walked towards the sliding glass door and opened it with a jerk. He tried to walk out the door, but Margo grabbed onto the frame of the doorway.

"You can't make me go in!" she yelled, her knuckles turning white from her tight grip.

"Stop acting like a brat!" he shouted, catching the attention of Natsu and Happy. Zepplin simply sat and watched the scene. He thought that whatever Gajeel had planned, it would be good for Margo; even if it was hard to sit and watch her. Gajeel jerked forward hard while keeping his tight grip on Margo. This caused Margo to let go of the door frame since Gajeel's hold was stronger than hers. He smirked in triumph as he walked down the steps towards the hot spring.

Margo could smell them getting closer to the water and she started to panic. She began to thrashing her arms and legs, trying to do anything to get out of Gajeel's grasp. There was no way she would be getting in that water. Gajeel stopped at the edge of the water and began to loosen his hold on Margo to throw her in. In the midst of Margo's thrashing, her knee collided with Gajeel's throat, causing the man to move backwards a little while he made a choking sound. Margo then used Gajeel's shoulders to flip herself over him. The force of her flip caused Gajeel to lurch forward and fall into the water. Natsu laughed loudly at Gajeel when he hit the water. The iron dragon resurfaced while coughing from the sudden water around him and the knee to the throat.

Margo honestly hadn't meant to hurt Gajeel, but she had been in such a panicked state that she hadn't been paying attention to what she was doing. She stood at the edge of the hot spring, still in a slightly panicked state. Her eyes were wide, her body shook and her breathing was ragged. She hadn't been that scared in a long time and the fear was literally shaking her body.

Gajeel had originally glared at Margo when he resurfaced. He was not at all happy by how things turned out and he thought that she had purposely kicked him in the throat. Though, when he saw her face and how her body shook and her heavy breathing, he knew that she hadn't done it on purpose. Natsu had even stopped laughing when he finally noticed how Margo was reacting. Both men could see the pure fear in her eyes. Then it clicked. The reason she didn't want to come on the mission in the first place. She was scared of water. It wasn't just a phobia. It was complete and utter fright.

Gajeel cursed at himself under his breath as he made his way out of the water. He hadn't meant to scare her like that by trying to throw her in the water, but it wasn't like he had known her fear. Margo's wide eyes followed him by the vibrations she felt in her feet. He slowly approached her, reaching for her arm. As soon as he touched her, she squeezed her eyes tightly and turned to run. Gajeel managed to catch her wrist before she got away.

"Please, don't throw me in," she whispered.

"I ain't gonna throw you in," he said, "Now, calm down. You're giving yourself a panic attack."

"Yeah? And who's fault is that?!" she shouted, trying to pull her hand away. Anger started to add into the fear she already felt. Her breathing became more ragged and her body shook even more.

"I didn't know you were scared of the water," Gajeel snapped back, not appreciating being yelled at, "Now calm down!"

"When someone tells you no, then that means no. It doesn't mean to throw them in the water! You dumbass! Now let me go!"

"Not until you calm down!"

"I can't calm down out here!" she shouted, a fear of not being able to breath coming over her. Before she could think to do anything else, Margo sent a wave of sound magic at Gajeel, sending the man back into the water. She stared in surprise, not even expecting herself to do that, "Sorry," she mumbled before she ran inside.

"You ok, man?" Natsu asked when Gajeel came up for air.

"Tch, not like that hurt me," he grumbled.

"Maybe not physically," Natsu stated, "I didn't think she would react like that to you."

"Shut up!" he shouted in retort before getting out of the water and heading inside. Natsu flinched when he heard the door slam to their room.

"They're just gonna be fun to get along with now," Natsu sighed.

**. : + : .**

Margo stood against the door, her back leaned up against it. She had managed to calm her breathing down, but her body was still shaking from everything that had just happened. She flinched when she heard Gajeel's door slam. She slid down the door, covering her mouth with her hand in hopes of muffling out the sobs that were wracking her body.

Zepplin moved next to her and Margo held onto him desperately. Fear, anger and guilt washed over her again and again. She really hadn't meant to attack Gajeel like that, but she hadn't been thinking properly. Her instincts took over and suddenly Gajeel had been thrown from her due to her own magic.

Memories had started to flood into her mind as well since Gajeel had tried to throw her into the hot spring. The worst was watching Gajeel move away from her and falling into the water. All she could see in her mind was her brothers being torn away from her and down the waterfall. She shook her head, trying to get rid of all the pictures in her mind.

They had a mission to complete. She couldn't let things get to her like this. She needed to pull herself together, but it was hard as more fear and guilt washed over her.

"I really messed up, Zepplin," she choked out into his fur. The hellhound nuzzled against her in response.

They both knew it was going to be a long night, especially when they heard thunder rolling in the background.

* * *

**A/N: **There you go! Hope you all enjoyed it! I'll have the next one up soon!

Remember to review please!

Yours Truly,

MyDearWatson


	16. Thunderstorms

**A/N: **CHA! Another chapter uploaded!

OMG! I just freaking love this chapter so much! Margo and Gajeel's relationship really takes off in this one and I got to introduce my new character too! I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do!

I would like to thank Raiyane, MusicOfMadness, Elfman and EnergyMageFrea for their reviews!

Raiyane - OMG! I was so excited to see that you reviewed my story! I am reading your story still. I've just been busy with work and writing this story. Plus this weekend I was busy with a college grad party for a friend and a local festival that was going on in town, that it didn't leave me a lot of time for reading and writing. I still want to enter a villain for your story! Could I possibly PM you a character or two? Anyways, I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying the story and I think you'll enjoy this chapter! I felt bad for Margo too, but things work out for her in this one. Hope you enjoy the chapter!

MusicOfMadness - I know! Poor Margo! But it gets better for her in this chapter...well a little after the beginning of it. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Elfman - Seriously! You had me cracking up again! I just love the way you review like Elfman! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

EnergyMageFrea - It's great to hear how much you love this story! ^.^ I hope you enjoy this chapter!

I don't own Fairy Tail!

Please enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 16: Thunderstorms**

Lightning struck down with a giant crack of thunder quickly following after. Margo jumped at the sound, like she had been doing for the past few hours. The storm had started up shortly after her argument with Gajeel and it had yet to stop. It was now one in the morning and Margo was sure that she wouldn't be getting any sleep; not when she was curled up on the floor between her bed and the nightstand next to it with a blanket over her head. Zepplin was sitting in between her legs with his head on her shoulder while Margo held her hands over her ears in hopes of muffling out the storm. Her eyes were squeezed shut tightly out of instinct.

She hated storms just about as much as water. It had been storming when she lost her brothers and it had stormed after she lost Philomela. The lightning and thunder and rain weren't things she associated with happy memories. To her, it meant losing the people most important to her. She had been lucky that it hadn't stormed in Magnolia, or else she was sure people would have figured out her fear by now.

Another crack of thunder rolled across the sky, causing Margo to jump again and a small sob to escape from her mouth. This definitely wasn't how she planned for this mission to go. First was her fear of water being revealed and then the fight with Gajeel, and now she had to deal with this damned storm. She just hoped that the storm going on outside meant she wouldn't be losing her friendship with Gajeel. It's not that they were super close, but their relationship had been building. She was afraid that the way she reacted earlier would put a wall between them.

"Dammit," she cried as another streak of lightning touched the ground followed by a boom of thunder, "Dammit," she repeated as she sunk further in on herself and crushed her hands to her ears.

**. : + : .**

"Oi! Salamander! Shut up!" Gajeel growled at the man. Natsu was sprawled across his bed with Happy close to him, both of them snoring loudly. Gajeel hadn't gotten a wink of sleep that night. Between the storm, the two idiots next to him and his fight with Margo weighing on his mind, there was no way he would be getting any sleep that night. It was now one in the morning and he couldn't take it anymore. He threw a pillow at Natsu, expertly smacking the man in the face. Instead of waking up, Natsu grabbed onto the pillow and nuzzled into it while still sleeping and snoring, "Fuck!" Gajeel cursed as he threw the blankets off of himself. He grabbed one blanket and a pillow and exited the room. He slammed the door behind him, not caring if he woke the occupants inside or not.

He walked over to the couch, threw the pillow down on it and then plopped himself down on it while throwing the blanket over himself. He put one arm over his eyes and took a deep breath. He couldn't believe that he had ended up on the couch, "I should have thrown the idiot out of the room," he grumbled right before a loud crack of thunder exploded outside. Once the thunder passed, Gajeel heard an odd sound. He sat up from his spot on the couch and listened carefully. He heard it again and it sounded like it was coming from Margo's room. Thunder rolled across the sky and when it passed, Gajeel heard it a little louder this time, "The hell?" he said quietly, approaching Margo's room. He pressed an ear to her door and heard the sound again. His face scowled, "Is she fucking crying?"

There was no way that she would be crying. It wasn't like the woman to do so. They had gotten into arguments before, but she would never cry about it. Gajeel huffed, wanting to find out what was going on with Margo; so he yanked her door open, lightning filling up the room. He looked around, expecting to see her on the bed. The lightning revealed a messy bed, but no Margo in it. The light faded, but thunder quickly followed it. He heard the sob again, so he concentrated harder to find her; using his enhanced sight to search the room. Eventually, his eyes landed on a lump against the wall in between the bed and the nightstand.

"Siren?" he called out, but the lump made no motion that it heard him. He began to approach the bundle of blankets slowly, hearing the sobs coming from it. When he was right in front of it, Gajeel knelt down to its level and slowly pulled the blanket away from it. Once the blanket was gone, it revealed a curled up Margo. Her hair was down and hanging in her face while her hands covered her ears tightly with Zepplin sitting in front of her with his head lying on her shoulder. The hound noticed Gajeel first, lifting his head up to whimper at the man. Zepplin was worried about Margo, having never seen her this scared before. Gajeel rubbed his head for taking care of Margo the best he could and motioned for him to move. Zepplin stepped out of the way just as another crack of thunder sounded off in the sky, causing Margo to jump again and another sob to escape her mouth.

Gajeel reached out slowly to touch the top of her head to let her know he was there. As soon as his hand landed on her, her head snapped up and her eyes were wide with shock and fear while tears were running down her cheeks. Gajeel's own eyes went wide upon seeing her current state. He couldn't believe that this was the same woman that told him off and knocked him upside the head on a daily basis. He never would have imagined that she could look the way she did. He never imagined that so many tears could stream down her face. A giant wave of guilt suddenly washed over him. Part of the fear that she was feeling was because of him and all he had done was yell at her for it.

"Margo," he said quietly, using her name for the first time. Margo's eyes widened at the use of her name, but before she could fully register what he had just said, the loudest crack of thunder yet exploded outside. On pure instinct, Margo jump up from her spot on the floor and slammed into Gajeel, her arms wrapping around his chest tightly and her fingers curling into his hair. She hid her face in his shoulder like a small child would while beginning to hyperventilate.

Gajeel fell back onto his butt, his hands landing slightly behind him to keep himself in a sitting position. His eyes were wide while he blushed a deep red. He honestly didn't know how to react to Margo. She had completely caught him off guard, and so, he didn't know whether he should be angry or shocked at her grabbing onto him.

"Please…don't leave," she whispered between her ragged breathing.

Her voice brought him back to reality. Gajeel slowly pushed himself forward and wrapped his arms back around her, his reaction being the only thing he could think of doing. He sighed heavily and looked up at the ceiling, trying to figure out something to say to her. He opted to stay silent for a long moment, figuring that she would come to the conclusion that he wouldn't be leaving if he didn't move. During this time, every time thunder rolled across the sky, Margo would continue to flinch; seeming to find the strength to grab on tighter to Gajeel. He was sure that her knuckles were white from her grip. He could feel his hair being pulled, but he ignored the pain. He was sure if he moved, she would only grip it tighter.

An idea suddenly popped into his head and he finally spoke to her, "I have an idea," he said quietly, "Let's move to the living room," he added, trying to push her away so he could stand up. Margo shook her head and hung onto him, just like a small child would. He sighed again as he continued to try to push her off him again. It was no use though. Even if he was able to push her body away, her arms stayed hooked around him and her face stayed pushed into his shoulder, "Geez, you really are a brat," he mumbled as he somehow figured out how to stand up while balancing the both of them. She stayed glued against him and he kept an arm wrapped around her waist. With his other hand, Gajeel grabbed her blanket and walked out her door with Zepplin following closely.

Gajeel moved into the living room, doing his best to try and set her on the couch, "Oi, you need to let go if you want me to help you," he said sternly.

"You're just gonna go back to your room," she retorted with a hiccup.

"I ain't gonna go back into my room," he growled, "Beside, the idiots in there are snoring too loud for me to stay in there."

"You promise?"

"For the love of…" he grumbled, "Yeah, I freaking promise I won't leave."

"Okay," she said softly, finally releasing her grip on him.

Once she was on the couch, Gajeel stood at his full height and stretched his limbs out quickly. After rolling his neck back and forth, he grabbed a pillow and shoved it into her hands, "Hold onto that."

"Thanks," she whispered, gripping onto the pillow for dear life while Zepplin hopped up onto the couch to cuddle next to her.

Gajeel grunted in response as he moved to turn on a single lamp. A dull glow filled the living room and Gajeel started to put his plan into action. He moved the coffee table off to the side and spread Margo's blanket across the floor before turning to the woman, who had stayed quiet this whole time.

"I need to grab some things from my room," he said, watching her twitch at his words, "But I'll be right back out, all right?"

"Okay," she answered, gripping the pillow tighter when she heard another crack of thunder.

Gajeel watched her a moment longer before disappearing into the room he shared with Natsu. He saw that the fire dragon was still sprawled out across his bed and snoring as loudly as ever. He rolled his eyes at the other man before grabbing a few pillows and blankets from his bed as well as something from his bag. He quickly left the room before he felt the urge to smack the other man with a pillow again.

He moved back into the living room and dumped all his stuff on top of the blanket on the floor. He moved the pillows up against the couch and moved the blankets off to the side for a moment. He then turned to look at Margo, who was still gripping the pillow tightly.

"Come on," he said, gently pulling on her arm to get her to move to the floor.

She did as he asked and stepped on a pillow in the process. She quirked and eyebrow at the feel of pillows and blankets on the floor, "What did you do?" she asked.

"We'll camp out here for the night," he answered, moving to sit on the other side of her when she settled her back against one of the pillows.

"What?" she asked right before thunder boomed outside again.

"Would you rather wait out the storm in your room…alone?" he asked gruffly.

She instantly grabbed onto his hand at his question to make sure he wasn't moving away, "No," she squeaked out.

"Then don't question it," he huffed before picking up what he had grabbed out of his bag. As he began fiddling with it, Margo asked what had been on her mind since he showed up in her room.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?" he retorted, but he knew what she was asking. He just hoped to avoid having to answer her.

"Why are you being so nice and helping me out after what happened today?" she asked, looking away from him.

He was quiet for a moment. He knew he would need to answer her, she wouldn't fully settle down if he didn't, "Tch, it's not like you hurt me or anything, but I'm still miffed that you blasted me into the water, ya know."

"Sorry," she mumbled, her hair hanging down in her face.

"Whatever," he replied, "What's done is done. We can't change it, so we just deal with it and move on," he explained, "But I'm not gonna leave you in a room by yourself and huddled up against the bed."

"And why not? It's not like you to help me out like that," she grumbled.

"Then you don't know me very well," he retorted, setting the object in his hands down. He spoke the next part quietly, "I know what it's like to be alone and scared."

"You? Scared?" Margo practically laughed, "Yeah right. What are you even scared of?"

"I'm scared of never seeing Metalicana again," he said simply, "He may have been rough around the edges, but he was my foster father and he taught me all my magic. It's hard to lose something like that," he explained.

"Both Natsu and I are scared of the same thing about our own foster parents, so that doesn't count," she retorted, "I'm fucking scared of water and storms. It's stupid to be scared of things like that."

"Look, I'll tell you what I'm scared of, but you have to promise not to tell anyone," he warned, "I swear to God! If you tell anyone, I kill you!"

"Psh, whatever," she said, "Tell me what it is already."

"I fucking hate clowns," he growled, "They scare the shit out of me."

"What?!" she laughed, "But it's just a dude with make-up!"

"I didn't laugh at your fear!" he shouted.

"I'm sorry," she said, covering her mouth with her hand in hopes of stopping her laughing, "How did you come to hate them?"

"It was shortly after Metalicana left," he began, "I came into a town that had a circus performing at the time. I got lost and ended up running into a group of them. They started laughing and joking around, getting right up in my face. I literally punched one of them square in the nose and ran in the opposite direction. I didn't stop until I got to the next town. I had nightmares about them for weeks."

"I see," Margo smiled, "I can understand why you hate them then."

"So what about you? How did you come to fear water and storms?"

Margo became quiet at his question, her body tensing back up when she heard the storm outside. Talking to Gajeel had seemed to relax her some, but the roll of thunder across the sky had her pulling her legs up against her and her arms circling around them tightly, "I lost my brothers during a storm and in a flood and it stormed the day that Philomela left," she answered softly, but Gajeel could tell that she wouldn't be elaborating on her answer. Though, he felt lucky enough to get the answer he did from her.

"Those are more understandable fears than mine," he stated lowly, picking the object in his lap back up, "Maybe one day we can change those fears into something happy, but for now, this should help you," he smirked, placing simple, black headphones over her ears.

Margo's head popped up when she felt the headphones around her ears, "What are you doing?"

"You can't hear the storm over music," he answered, "And I just so happen to have a music player," he added, flipping the music on.

Margo was concerned at first that he would have a recording of himself singing, but soft jazz music began playing instead. She smiled softly, surprised that Gajeel had thought of something so comforting. She let the music take over her mind and she couldn't hear anything but the music. The thunder and rain had been completely washed away and she felt herself start to drift off already. She wiggled against the pillow behind her until she found a comfortable spot.

"Thank you, Gajeel," she managed to whisper before she finally dozed off.

Gajeel sighed in relief, glad that his plan had worked. He quickly made himself comfortable as well, hoping to fall asleep just as fast as Margo. He let the sound of the rain take over his mind and he began to feel sleep start to overcome him, "Your brother is right," he yawned before letting a smirk spread across his face, "You really are a troublesome woman."

**. : + : .**

Morning came quickly. The storm had finally ended a few hours after Margo and Gajeel had fallen asleep and the sun was shining brightly now. Natsu rose with a loud yawn, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes with Happy following suit. He looked over to Gajeel's bed to see the man wasn't there. Natsu figured that he had gotten up before him. He shrugged before getting up and exiting the room. He instantly froze upon entering the living room.

There in the middle of the floor and up against the couch were Margo, Gajeel and Zepplin. Margo had her back pushed up against Gajeel's side with a blanket covering her up to her waist and headphones laying around her neck. Zepplin lay across her legs, acting as an extra heater for the woman. Gajeel was leaned up against the couch with his head dropped backwards and an arm around Margo's waist.

Just as Happy was about to laugh at them, Natsu grabbed the small cat and covered his mouth with a hand. Natsu tiptoed through the living room, grabbed one of the keys and silently exited the room. He released Happy when they were close to the stairs.

"What are you doing Natsu?" Happy asked as he flew next to him.

"Blackmail," he grinned widely, "I'm gonna borrow a camera from the resort and capture a picture of those two."

"How is it going to be blackmail when you're just going to show that picture to everyone at the guild anyways?"

Natsu sweat dropped at Happy's question, "Well, I'm still taking a picture!"

"Aye, whatever you say!"

The two made their way down the stairs and headed towards the front counter. The woman behind the front desk smiled at Natsu when he appeared, "Good morning! How can I help you?" she greeted.

"Do you happen to have a camera I can borrow?"

"We just so happen to have one you can rent for the day. Would you like to do that?"

"Yes please!" Natsu grinned.

"That'll be 1,000 jewels then."

Natsu quickly paid the woman and she handed him the camera. The camera was like the one that the man had at the festival and would instantly print out the pictures he took. Natsu ran back up to the third floor and entered their room quietly. He grinned upon seeing that the others were still sleeping in the same spots they previously had been.

'This is gonna be great!' he thought.

Natsu moved to stand in front of the sleeping pair and aimed the camera at them. He quickly snapped the camera, causing a flash to go off. The flash was enough to wake up Gajeel, the man yawning and rubbing the hand that wasn't around Margo across his face. He blinked a few times at seeing Natsu laughing in front of him. He scrunched his face together when he saw the camera and picture in his hands. He then looked down to see his and Margo's positions and everything suddenly clicked.

"You flame bastard!" Gajeel shouted, jumping up from his spot on the floor. This caused Margo to thump against the ground and to wake up in the process.

"What the hell?" she groaned, lifting herself onto an elbow while rubbing the back of her head with her other hand.

"I can't believe you did that!" Gajeel continued to shout, "Give me the damn picture!"

"Hell no," Natsu laughed, running from the man, "I'll be able to show the guild what a big softy you really are."

"What's going on?" Margo asked, moving to sit Indian styled with Zepplin's head lying on her leg. She rubbed him behind the ear, being in a much better mood than the night before.

"That fire freak took a picture of us sleeping!" Gajeel answered, still trying to catch Natsu.

"So?" Margo asked with a yawn while stretching. She still wasn't fully awake at the moment, "It's just a picture. How bad can it be?"

"Just a picture?!" Gajeel yelled, "It'll ruin my reputation if he shows the guild that picture!"

"What reputation?" Natsu laughed, "For being a hard headed idiot?"

"Fuck you!" Gajeel shouted.

"Ugh, please don't start arguing this early in the morning," Margo groaned, "Natsu, stop teasing him. Gajeel, just leave the little weirdo alone. It's not like anyone is really gonna care about a picture."

Gajeel glared between a sleepy Margo and a smirking Natsu, "Tch, whatever. I'm going to take a shower," he announced before leaving the living room.

Once Gajeel had disappeared, Margo stood up off the floor, "You really shouldn't tease him like that, Natsu."

"Why not? It's so easy," he laughed in response.

"Because karma has a funny way of getting back to you," she answered, "Plus, he helped me out a lot last night, so give him a break."

"How did you two end up out here anyways?"

"None of your business," she replied, sticking her nose up in the air while walking to her room, "I'm taking a shower."

"Did you guys camp out without me?" he pouted.

"No, that's not what happened!"

"But it looks like a camp out," he continued to pout, grabbing onto her legs.

"Let go of me!"

"Please let me camp out with you guys tonight!"

"We weren't camping out!" she growled.

"PLEASE!" he begged.

"Jesus! Fine! We can camp out tonight! Just let go of me!"

"Victory!" he shouted happily while letting go of Margo.

Margo simply rolled her eyes in response as she entered her room to take a shower.

**. : + : .**

The three walked down to the lobby once everyone was finished getting ready. Margo had thrown her hair up into its usual messy ponytail and decided to wear her sunglasses that day. They were hoping to be able to check out the dried out hot springs for any clues to help with their mission. Luckily, Jean had been at the desk at that moment and was more than happy to show them to the empty hot springs.

"I hope you all slept well," Jean smiled.

"Oh yeah! That bed was super comfy!" Natsu grinned. The other two rolled their eyes at him, knowing the man could sleep through a tornado.

"It was fine for the most part," Margo answered, "But I wasn't expecting that thunderstorm last night."

"Yes, unfortunately we've been having very bad storms lately," Jean explained, "They started ever since the water has been disappearing."

"The hot springs are outside, right?" Margo asked.

"Yes, they are."

"Then wouldn't the rain fill them up?"

"That's what the mayor and I were thinking as well," Jean frowned, "We even stayed up to watch the storm one night. As soon as the storm stops, the water in the hot springs disappears."

"Are there any leaks or new streams within the area?" Gajeel asked.

"We checked for those too, but there's nothing," Jean answered, "There is nothing that proves that this water should be suddenly disappearing. We've never had a drought in this area. It may get humid at times, but nothing ever goes dry."

"Do you normally get bad storms?" Natsu asked.

"We do get rain more often than most towns, but nothing like we've been having."

"It sounds like whatever is going on, magic is involved," Margo stated, "Water just doesn't disappear like that and the freak storms are out of the norm as well."

"Would someone have it out for this place?" Gajeel asked.

"Oh heavens no!" Jean replied, "We've never had any problems with any of our customers nor the towns around us. The other towns actually love the resort since it brings traffic through their own towns."

"Well, hopefully we'll get some answers out of the empty hot springs."

"I hope so too," Jean smiled, "Here we are," she announced, "Just go through these doors and it'll lead to several of the empty hot springs. I need to go check up on some things, but don't hesitate to ask me for anything."

"Thank you, Jean," Margo grinned while the men nodded at her.

After Jean left, the three mages walked through the door she had pointed out. They walked through a shower area before entering the outside hot springs. The giant pools were surrounded by rocks and vegetation, just like the one right outside their suite; but of course these ones were empty. The three of them froze upon entering the area. They could feel a heavy magic hanging in the area. All of them exchanged looks before walking further into the hot springs.

They each split up, Natsu going right, Gajeel going left and Margo heading straight. Zepplin trotted along with her, sniffing the air around him to see if anything smelled out of the ordinary other than the heavy magic in the air. Margo stopped at the edge of one of the springs, smelling traces of the rain water that had just been sitting in it that morning. She moved towards the stairs and climbed down into it, hoping to find more clues in the actual spring.

She could feel more of the magic within the spring. She took a deep breath and relaxed her body to fully take in the magic all around her. Something felt oddly familiar about this magic. It felt like her own magic and Gajeel's and Natsu's.

"That's weird," she said aloud, "It feels like Dragon Slaying Magic."

There was a basic element to Dragon Slaying Magic that made it feel familiar. All their magic came from dragons, so it wasn't surprising to Margo that there would be similarities to it. What she couldn't understand was if it really was a Dragon Slayer doing these things, what was the point? Jean had stated that they always had good relationships with their customers and it's not like the town had a guild in it. There would be no reason for a rival guild or a dark guild to attack a resort.

At that moment, Margo caught a large whiff of the magic on a small breeze. It smelled fresh too, "Come on Zepplin," she said as she jumped from the spring's floor back to the flat surface. She and Zepplin followed the scent into the forest that surrounded the hot springs. She began to make a run for it when she felt herself losing the scent. Before Margo could stop herself, she busted out of the forest onto a walking path and slammed into a body, "Oof!" she huffed as she was fell onto the body that she ran into, "Oh my God! I'm so sorry!" she apologized when she landed on the ground with whoever she ran into.

A man started laughing from under her, "It's all right," he grinned, "I should be asking if you're okay. You seemed to be in a hurry to wherever you were headed. Though, you did surprise me by popping out of the forest there."

Margo flushed in embarrassment and lifted herself off of the man, "Yeah, I'm all right," she answered, sticking a hand out to help him stand, "I was just…taking a morning run," she lied, hoping the man would believe her. She felt him grip her hand tightly and she pulled him up to a standing position.

"A morning run?" he asked with a chuckle, "You do know that they have a path for things like that, right?"

"I actually just got here yesterday, so I haven't been able to check the place out yet," she answered, "I'm really sorry for running into you," she said, rubbing the back of her head nervously.

"No worries, sweetheart," he grinned, catching Margo off guard by the nickname. He didn't sound like he was flirting with her, so she let it slide for the moment, "No one was hurt."

Margo sighed in relief, glad that the man wasn't angry at her. She smiled at him, "My name's Margo Lennox."

"The name's Rocco Lafayette. Pleasure to meet you," he replied, sticking his hand out to shake hers.

Margo stomped down to feel his movements better and shook his hand in the process. She could also feel that he was about 5'10" and built like Aero – lean muscle and a toned stomach and chest. If she could see, she may have flushed from his sharp facial features and bright blue eyes. His skin was an olive color and his hair was a chestnut brown that was layered, slicked back with a few pieces hanging over the left of his forehead from his previous running and ended at the nape of his neck. He wore simple, white running shorts that reached his knees, a loose, blue tank top and black tennis shoes.

"Oh! Are you from Fairy Tail?" he asked, seeing part of her mark sticking out from behind her sunglasses.

"Yes, I am," she smiled, "I'm on a small vacation right now with some friends," she lied again, but no one was supposed to know they were here on a mission.

"Oh honey, then you should let me show you around the place," he said, again throwing Margo off by the nickname, "I've been here a few weeks and I know this place like the back of my hand. I know the town pretty well too. We could go out shopping or for coffee one day."

'What the hell is up with this guy?' Margo thought, 'First the nicknames with no indication of flirtation and then he actual wants to go shopping. No guy does that sort of stuff except for…oh my God! He's gay!' she thought with a wide smile. She inwardly laughed while thinking, 'Gajeel and Natsu are just gonna love him if they ever meet!'

"I don't know if my friends would like me straying off without them," Margo answered, though she knew that it would be good to get some insight from someone who's been around the resort during the strange events.

"The more the merrier, I say," he chuckled.

"I don't think shopping is on their to-do lists," Margo laughed.

"Then they'll just have to let me steal you away for a day," he stated, "You're just too cute!" he said before finally noticing Zepplin, "And who is this?" he asked while reaching down to pet Zepplin.

The hound growled deeply at the man, feeling something off about him. Rocco quickly retracted his hand from the hellhound, surprised by the reaction, "Zepplin!" Margo hissed, surprised by his reaction as well. He rarely ever growled at anyone, so it was strange for him to suddenly do it now. Rocco hadn't done anything to them, so she had to wonder why he did it, "Sorry about that. He normally doesn't growl at people. He may be tired from last night. That storm kept us up for a while."

"Don't worry about it," he smiled in return, but quickly narrowed his eyes at Zepplin. Margo couldn't see the action, so she had to wonder why Zepplin growled again, "And honey, don't get me started on those storms. Every night, it's one after another. I decided to by some ear plugs after the third night of listening to them."

"So they've been happening for a while then?" she asked.

"Yeah, and I know the staff won't say anything, but I know that the springs have been disappearing. It's hard not to notice when we've been condemned to two hot springs, one for men and one for women. But I suppose it doesn't matter so long as we still have one to relax in. I just hope they fix whatever is going on. I would hate to see this place go under."

"Yeah, it would be a shame," Margo agreed, "Maybe we could go get coffee sometime and talk about things then?"

"Sweetheart, I have tons of stories about this place. I've got the goods on all of the staff too," Rocco chuckled, "But really, I shouldn't be gossiping since the staff is so nice, but it would be nice to relax with someone who can hold a decent conversation and someone who's not married or who has kids."

"Not a lot of single people here?"

"Of course not!" Rocco answered, "And that has to happen on my extended vacation too! It would have been nice to find a good looking man or tw-"

"Margo! There you are!" Natsu shouted, jumping out of the forest with Happy.

"Oi! Siren! Don't go running off like that! It's annoying to have to hunt you down!" Gajeel yelled, coming out of the forest right behind Natsu.

Rocco stared at the two men with a dropped jaw, "Thank the Gods!" he suddenly yelled to the sky before staring at the two men like they were eye candy. His eyes began sparkling as he watched the muscles move under the men's skin, "Oh yes, that's just lovely."

Both Gajeel and Natsu quirked an eyebrow at the man, feeling awkward under his gaze.

"Who the hell is this?" Gajeel asked.

"Aren't you just a feisty one," Rocco chuckled before turning to Natsu, "And look at that lovely hair. Is it naturally pink?"

Both Gajeel and Natsu sweat dropped in response while Margo laughed loudly, holding her stomach in the process. Her mission just got a little better, "Guys," she began when her laughing subsided, "This is Rocco Lafayette. He's a customer here at the resort and he's been staying here for a while," she explained, "Rocco, these are my friends I was telling you about. Gajeel Redfox and Natsu Dragneel."

"You didn't tell me how good looking your friends were, sweetheart," Rocco grinned.

"What the…" Gajeel started, turning to Margo, "Sweetheart? Good looking? What the hell is going on?"

"Well, it ain't me that he's hitting on," Margo chuckled.

"WHAT?!" both Natsu and Gajeel shouted, their eyes going wide and white.

"Look buddy," Gajeel stated, "I don't swing for the other team, so you can just give up right now!"

"Same goes for me!" Natsu shouted.

"That's what they all say until I'm through with them," Rocco grinned slyly, easily sliding up to the two men and wrapping an arm around each of them.

"Hell no!" Gajeel shouted, "This ain't happening!" he added before throwing Rocco's hand off of his shoulder. The next thing he did without thinking, but he knew it would be the only way to keep the man off of him. He grabbed Margo by her waist and pulled her against him, practically placing her in front of him, "Sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm taken."

It was Margo's turn to shout, "WHAT?! What do you think you're doing?!"

"Just go along with it," Gajeel whispered, "I can't handle that guy."

"The hell I'll just go along with it!" she hissed.

"Call it payback for last night," he stated.

"Dammit," Margo cursed before sighing heavily.

"Is it true Margo?" Rocco pouted, "Is he really taken by you?"

"Yeah," she mumbled, "We're dating."

"I have the picture to prove it too!" Natsu shouted.

'BAM'

"But Natsu here is totally free," Margo smiled widely after smacking him on the head.

"One is better than none," Rocco smiled while hugging and nuzzling Natsu.

"Get off of me!" Natsu cried, trying to pull the man off of him, "Margooooooooo," he whined.

"I told you karma has a funny way of getting back at you," Margo laughed.

"Whatever," Natsu huffed while crossing his arms and dealing with the man still hugging him tightly.

"So Rocco, would you like to do coffee?" Margo asked.

"What? No way!" Gajeel began before Margo elbowed him the stomach.

"Shut up!" she hissed.

"Of course I would," he answered, "So long as you bring both these lovely men. Even if I can't have Gajeel, he's still worth the eye candy," he grinned, causing a shiver to run down Gajeel's spine.

"Great!" Margo smiled, "How about tomorrow morning around ten?"

"Sounds good!"

"All right," Margo said, peeling Natsu away from Rocco, "Sorry to take these 'lovely men' away from you, but we have plans for the afternoon. See you tomorrow!"

"Yeah, see ya! Bye-bye my Natsu-chan!" Rocco called out before continuing his run down the path.

"What the hell?!" Natsu shouted after the man, "Don't call me that!"

"What a weirdo," Gajeel huffed.

"He's no weirder than the two of you," Margo stated, "He just plays for the other team and there's nothing wrong with that."

"So long as he stays off of me, then he can do whatever he pleases; especially if he annoys Salamander here," he smirked.

"Shut up!" Natsu growled, "I can't believe you used Margo as a decoy!"

"You're just mad because I thought of it first!"

As the two continued to argue, Margo smiled after them. Though, her smile faded when the fresh scent of magic hit her nose again. It floated from the direction that Rocco had just ran off, causing her to scrunch her face in confusion. The magic couldn't be coming from Rocco, could it? Margo shook her head at the thought, figuring that the scent would be attached to him from his time at the resort. Margo shrugged and followed her still arguing partners. Though, only time would reveal her mistake in ignoring her instincts.

* * *

**A/N: **There you go! Hope you enjoyed it!

So, Rocco turned out a little more flamboyant than I originally planned. Originally, I had just planned for him to be this goofy, fun loving guy who just happened to like men, but I really like the way he turn out in this. I think what will happen with him is he'll act like a regular guy around Margo, aside from the nicknames for her, and when he's around Gajeel and Natsu that's when his flamboyant side will come out. I hope you all will enjoy his character!

I'll have the next one up soon!

Remember to review please!

Yours Truly,

MyDearWatson


	17. Friend or Foe?

**A/N: **And another chapter down!

I enjoyed writing this chapter a lot since I got to add in some humor before moving to the more serious scenes.

I would like to thank Link, Raiyane, Niwen, fanficFreakShingeki, Emmatin, MusicOfMadness and Elfman for their awesome reviews!

Link - LOL! Glad to hear that you like the new OC so much and that you've enjoyed the last two chapters. I'm really excited to be writing this arc, so it's always good to hear that it's turning out well. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Raiyane - Your review was just awesome! ^.^ Hopefully I'll be PMing you soon with a couple of villains. I just have to plot them out first. It took me forever to decide what to make Gajeel scared of, so I just used one of my own fears for him. Plus, I liked the idea of a little Gajeel punching the lights out on a clown! Glad that the Gajeel and Margo moment worked out well! Hope you enjoy the one I wrote for this chapter! CHA! Glad to hear that you like Rocco so much too. I've come to like him being more flamboyant. It just works so well for the man! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Niwen - LOL! I don't think a lot of people expected to see a gay mage. But I'm glad you thought the last chapter was funny! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

fanficFreakShingeki - Don't worry about it. I know what it's like to get busy. I'm just glad to know that you're reading the story! And I was even surprised that I've been updating so quickly, not that that's a bad thing LOL! I'm just enjoying this story so much and this fandom that it all comes out so quickly. Glad to hear that you're enjoying the story so much! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Emmatin - LOL! You'll find out in time on whether Rocco is good or bad. Glad to hear that the last chapter was funny. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

MusicOfMadness - Oh yeah! Natsu really got hit by karma in the last chapter! And yes, I would say Rocco is hot, LOL! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Elfman - LOL! Glad to hear that you enjoyed the last chapter. Hope you enjoy this chapter too!

I don't own Fairy Tail!

Please enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 17: Friend or Foe?**

"I can't believe you have to fall asleep with head phones on," Natsu chuckled as the small group walked down one of the streets in Marigold, "You totally ruined our poker game last night by putting those things on."

"It's not funny!" Margo hissed, pushing on his shoulder roughly, "And I didn't ruin the game. You're just mad that I still won with them on!"

"Only because you couldn't hear me egging you on," he huffed, pushing her back.

"Why would you admit that you were trying to mess me up? You really are an idiot."

"You shouldn't let it bother you," Gajeel stated, "He wasn't all that impressive with his remarks. Even the bunny girl could have played a winning hand listening to him, Gi Hee," he laughed.

"Shut up, metal brain!"

"I'm just saying, Salamander," Gajeel smirked, "You gotta be a little better at witty remarks if you want to throw someone off in a card game."

"Whatever," Natsu huffed, crossing his arms and looking the other way. He couldn't say anything else in his defense since he knew that Gajeel was right.

Margo laughed at the fire dragon as she caught Happy in her arms when he flew up to her.

"Margo!" the little cat began happily, "How come you wear those sunglasses if you can't see anything?"

"Happy!" Natsu shouted, "Even that's a little rude for you!"

"Don't worry," Margo smiled, "I'd rather have people ask me straightforward questions rather than try to talk around things," she explained, saving the cat from a scolding from Natsu, "To answer your question, Happy, a friend once told me that I would look cool in them," she smiled sadly, remembering how Kaiden had convinced her to get them in the first place. It had become habit to have a pair with her at all times and there was no shaking it now.

"Well, they were right! You do look cool in them!" Happy grinned.

"Really?"

"Aye!"

Margo grinned and rubbed his head playfully, "Thanks, fur ball!"

"I have a question too!" Natsu announced.

"Yeah?"

"I've been trying to figure it out, but I just can't seem to come up with an answer on my own," Natsu began, "What do you eat?"

"What?" Margo replied, "What do you mean, 'what do I eat'?" she asked. Even Gajeel was quirking an eyebrow at the rosette.

"What do you eat as a Dragon Slayer?" he asked, "I can eat fire and even the metal brain can eat iron, so what do you eat? Do you just suck sound in or something?"

"Something like that," Margo chuckled, "It more like taking voices. That's the easiest way for me to eat sound."

"Taking voices?" both Natsu and Gajeel asked.

"Yeah, let me show you," she said, letting go of Happy. The small cat flew over to perch on Natsu's shoulder. She came to a stop, halting the rest of the group, "Zepplin, sit boy," she stated. She wasn't too worried about what she was about to do with the hellhound since she had done several times in the past for a little extra energy boost, "Now growl for me," she said. Once he began growling, Margo bent down to come face to face with him and began sucking inwards. Zepplin's growling suddenly became quieter and quieter until there was no sound coming from him at all. Margo easily swallowed the sound down and grinned up at her other three team members, "And that's how it's done," she stated, a glow to her face from the extra energy, "Speak for them, Zepplin," she said. The hellhound barked, but absolutely no sound came from him.

"That's so cool!" Natsu shouted, "But…uh…is he gonna be all right?" he asked, pointing to the black hound.

"Yeah," Margo answered, "He'll get his voice back in a few hours."

"Could you ever make it so someone couldn't ever speak again?" Natsu asked.

"I'm not sure," Margo said, "I've never really needed to do that to someone."

"Maybe you should test it out on Salamander, Gi Hee," Gajeel laughed, "It would make this mission much quieter."

"Shut up!"

"If you keep shouting like that, I just might test it out," Margo said as they all started walking again.

"No you wouldn't," Natsu retorted.

"Wanna bet?" Margo smirked back at him.

Before anything else could be said on the subject, a loud voice interrupted the group.

"Margo, honey! Over here!" Rocco shouted, waving to the group.

The three turned towards the voice to see Rocco standing outside of the small café they had planned to meet at that morning. Instead of the running clothes he had been wearing the day before, he was dressed more casually. He wore a pair of khaki cargo pants, the same black tennis shoes and a light blue, polo shirt. He would have appeared normal while standing there waiting for them if it hadn't been for the cat that sat on his shoulders. It didn't look like Happy. It was just a regularly shaped cat with deep purple fur, big green eyes and a black collar with a little gold bell on it that tinkled when it moved.

"This guy really is weird," Gajeel mumbled.

Margo quirked an eyebrow at the man, not being able to see the cat like he could. Though, she was unable to ask him about his comment since they had now approached Rocco at the front of the café.

"Good morning Rocco," Margo began with a smile, "Sleep well?"

"Sweetheart, with those ear plugs I can sleep through anything," he grinned, "I brought Penelope with me, so I hope that's all right."

"Who's Penelope?" Margo asked. Instead of answering her with words, Rocco simply picked the cat up from his shoulders and plopped it into Margo's hands. Margo peered down at the cat while it stared up at her with what appeared to be nervous eyes. The Dragon Slayer smiled and rubbed the top of the cat's head, receiving a happy purr in reply, "She's a sweetie," Margo said.

"Yes, she is," Rocco said, taking the cat back and setting her on his shoulders again.

Zepplin stared up at the cat, feeling that something was out of the ordinary with it just like how he felt with Rocco. He growled on instinct, but no sound came out still. He huffed silently, wishing that Margo hadn't taken his voice that morning. He supposed he would just have to keep a close eye on the man and the cat.

"Let's head on in," Rocco said, "I'm hungry."

"Same here," Margo answered before turning to Natsu and hissing at him, "Don't eat everything!"

"My Natsu-chan!" Rocco said happily, wrapping his arms around said man's shoulders.

"Don't touch me!" Natsu shouted, "Didn't you get enough yesterday?!"

"I can never get enough of a man like you!" Rocco answered, nuzzling his cheek against Natsu's. Rocco then turned his sight on Gajeel, seeing the man standing a few feet from Margo. Gajeel tensed when he noticed Rocco's stare on him, "Are you sure you two are dating?" Rocco asked with a sly smile, readying himself to pounce on the Iron Dragon Slayer.

"O…of course," Margo stuttered.

"You don't seem like it," Rocco said, his smile growing wider at the prospect of having two men to cuddle with, "A man like me knows these things."

"Yeah, we're dating," Gajeel said quickly before yanking on Margo's hand and pulling her close to him, "So I'm off limits."

"Mmmhmm," Rocco retorted, "Then you should kiss to prove it."

Both Gajeel's and Margo's jaws dropped wide open while Natsu roared in laughter.

Margo managed to collect herself together first and began laughing nervously, "Oh, come on Rocco. You don't want to see that. Besides, I thought you were tired of seeing couples together."

"I'm not saying one word about anything until I see a kiss," Rocco smirked, thinking that he had this in the bag. They wouldn't be able to kiss and he would be able to take hold of a second man. And it wasn't like Margo could be mad at him for it. He could tell that the two weren't dating from their body language alone. No couple stood three feet away from each other, even with people as hot tempered as Margo and Gajeel. At least, that's what he had come to learn over the years while studying the couples around him. Though, he hadn't calculated in Gajeel's need to not be mauled by the man like Natsu.

Gajeel stared at Rocco for a moment, hating the victorious smirk he wore. He then looked down to Margo, who currently looked nervous and flushed at the moment. He inwardly sighed, knowing that they wouldn't be getting out of this predicament any time soon unless he did something about it. Before Margo could retort to Rocco's demand, Gajeel bent down just enough to be able to land a quick kiss to her cheek. Margo's eyes turned as wide as saucers when she felt Gajeel's lips against her cheek. She stood frozen in her spot, disbelieving what had just happened. The only thing she could register was the hot feeling growing in her cheeks. She knew she had to be blushing like crazy.

Natsu stared in shock for a moment before he roared in laughter again, "I can't believe you actually did it, metal brain! Who knew you had it in you!"

'SMACK'

"Keep your damn comments to yourself, Salamander," Gajeel growled after punching the fire dragon on the head. Natsu only laughed harder in response, especially when he saw the pink flush on the man's cheeks.

Rocco stared in surprise as well, not at all expecting Gajeel to make a move like that. He pouted slightly though before speaking, "How can you call that a kiss? It wasn't even on the lips."

"You never specified what kind it had to be," Gajeel grunted, "So we pass your stupid exam."

"All right, all right," Rocco chuckled, "Let's head in then. Come on, my Natsu-chan!" he said, dragging Natsu inside with him.

"Oi! Don't hang all over me like this!" Natsu shouted as they entered the café.

Gajeel turned to follow them, but quickly noticed that Margo wasn't keeping up with him. He turned around to see her still standing in the same position with the heavy blush still staining her cheeks. Zepplin sat directly in front of her with his head cocked to the side, confused as to what was wrong with Margo. Gajeel sighed before walking up to her.

"Come on, Siren," he said, pulling on her upper arm to get her to move. Once she felt his hand slide around her arm, Margo began to come back to reality. She took a large step in order to be walking right next to Gajeel and he released his hand from her arm in the process. She looked away from him, still blushing, "Was it really that bad?" he asked when he noticed that she was looking the opposite direction from him.

"I never said that!" she retorted, her head whipping around to face him now. She didn't think it was possible, but she was sure her blush grew darker from her quick response.

"Gi Hee," he laughed upon seeing the red across her face, but said nothing else as they entered the café.

They all quickly ordered something to eat and drink before moving to sit at a table in the back corner of the café. They had more privacy that way. Margo let Rocco flirt with Natsu a little longer while she let herself relax into a hot cup of coffee. She slowly felt the heat fading from her cheeks and she didn't feel so embarrassed anymore. Though, every time she felt Gajeel move next to her, she would think about what had happened and the butterflies in her stomach would start to flutter around again. She would quickly douse them out with a large gulp of coffee though.

"So," Margo began when she felt calm enough to start a conversation and deciding it was time to save Natsu from Rocco's flirtations. Her voice did what it was supposed to and soon Rocco sat facing Margo instead of grabbing all over the fire dragon, "Have strange things been happening at the resort for a while?"

"It was normal when I first came," Rocco answered, sipping at a cup of green tea, "There were a lot of people here and no water was missing. Plenty of good looking men filled every nook and cranny of the place," he smiled, staring off dreamily for a moment, "But then slowly, springs started to close and people started to leave. Thunderstorms were happening every night, but no water was staying in the hot springs. Miss Jean looked as if she would be having a nervous breakdown before you all arrived. She seemed to brighten quite a bit upon your arrival. Are you sure that you're really here on vacation?"

The small group went quiet at the question before Margo decided to speak up, "Well, you see-"

"Siren!" Gajeel growled. When they were making the trip to Marigold, they had all agreed that they would tell other guests at the hotel that they were there on vacation so as not to raise suspicions.

"Look, he already has suspicions about what's going on. It's not like it's hard to notice when the place has been shut down to only three hot springs. Plus, we could use all the help we can get on this," Margo retorted before turning to Rocco, "We aren't here on vacation."

"I knew it!" he grinned, "So what are you here for then?"

"We were asked to come here by the mayor to figure out what's going on at the resort. Water just doesn't go missing like that without a reason. There are no signs that the water leaked into a larger stream, so something is definitely up. That, and we can feel magic all around the area of the empty hot springs. It most likely indicates that someone is purposely getting rid of the water, but we just can't figure out why."

"That is a bit of a predicament," Rocco replied.

"Yeah, and we'd appreciate it if you don't go yapping this information to someone," Gajeel said.

"Don't worry," Rocco said, waving off his warning, "Who am I going to tell anyways?"

"Still," Margo said, "We can't have this information getting out to the other guests of the resort. It may scare the rest of them away and it would hurt business."

"I promise not to tell anyone, sweetheart," he smiled.

"Thanks," Margo said, "So have you seen anything strange going on at the resort?"

"Not particularly," Rocco answered, "The guests are all your average humans. No mages from what I've heard the staff talk about. And the staff themselves gossip about relationships and such between each other, but there's no bad blood between any of them. Sorry I don't have any more information for you."

"It's all right," Margo answered, "We should be looking for the answers on our own anyways."

"Well, why don't you take a walk through the town to see if you can find anything out of the ordinary that way," Rocco suggested.

"That's actually a good idea," Margo replied, "Zepplin and I could walk through town while the two of you can check the resort out a little more," she said, motioning to Gajeel and Natsu.

"But you don't know the town very well," Natsu said.

"I'd be more than happy to show you around," Rocco said.

"Great! Then it's a plan!" Margo smiled.

The group quickly finished their breakfast and then exited the café.

"I'll meet you two back in our suite in a few hours, okay?" Margo asked.

"Yeah, sure," Gajeel said, dragging Natsu away from Rocco.

"Bye-bye, my Natsu-chan!" Rocco called out.

"Stop calling me that!" Natsu shouted.

Margo laughed at the two before turning towards Rocco, "Are you ready to go?"

"Honey, I'm always ready," he answered with a smirk.

**. : + : .**

The next few hours flew by with Margo and Rocco going into several of the stores while they surveyed the town. Even if they hadn't found anything out of the ordinary, they were having fun checking out the stands and stores.

"I can't believe that we haven't found anything," Margo sighed as they walked down a long street that would eventually lead back to the resort, "This mission is turning impossible. There's nothing in the town at all and the only thing that we found back at the resort is the feel of magic. I hope the guys had better luck than us."

"Don't worry so much, sweetheart," Rocco smiled, "I'm sure that things will make themselves known soon enough."

"I hope so."

"So why do you keep wearing those sunglasses?" Rocco asked, wanting to change subjects, "Afraid to show off your eyes or something? I bet they're really pretty!"

"I wouldn't know," Margo smiled softly.

"Huh?"

"I can't see," she explained, "I'm blind."

Rocco went quiet at her answer. He definitely hadn't expected her to say that, "Blind? But how?"

"I could see when I was little, but when I was four I got into an accident that caused me to go blind," she answered.

A guilty feeling suddenly washed over Rocco, 'Was it _that_ accident?' he thought. He frowned deeply, Penelope nuzzling her head against his cheek in comfort. He reached up and rubbed the top of her head. He had come to like Margo in the short amount of time they had been together, but he had to do what he had come here to do. He had to prove himself no matter what.

"Rocco? Are you all right?" Margo asked softly.

"Yeah, honey, I'm fine," he said quietly, "Just thinking about some things. Let's get you back to the resort."

"All right," Margo frowned, hearing the lie in his voice. When she stepped down, she could feel the outline of a small stand off to her right. She then smelled the cold sweetness of ice cream and she smiled. She ran over to the stand and quickly ordered two cones. She then made her way back to Rocco, handing him a vanilla cone while eating her own strawberry one, "Sweet things always made me feel better when I was little," she smiled at him. Rocco stared at the cone in surprise before taking it and thanking her, "But I do have to admit that they always taste better with friends."

Rocco gripped his empty fist tightly while he clenched his teeth. He didn't understand why she had to go and say something like that. Why did she have to call him her friend? They wouldn't able to be friends after everything was over, and yet there she was smiling widely at him. Tears began to slide down his cheeks as he ate his ice cream cone. He didn't even bother to wipe them away, knowing that more would replace them if he did. He finally couldn't take her kindness anymore and stopped in the middle of the street.

"Rocco?" Margo asked when she felt he had stopped.

"I…I have to go. I think I left something at the café," he said quietly.

"Do you want me to come with you?" she asked.

"No, that's all right," he replied, "You can make it back from here, right?"

"Yeah."

"All right, I'll see you later."

"Bye Rocco," Margo said before he ran in the opposite direction. She stayed standing for a few moments, feeling worried for the man, "That was strange," she said before she took a few more licks of her ice cream. She then gave the rest of it to Zepplin, who ate it happily in silence since he still couldn't make any sounds. The two began walking again, but as soon as they started walking, thunder began to roll across the sky. Margo froze at the sound and looked up to the sky, "It's only the afternoon. Why would the storm be coming in now?"

The sky started to darken as black clouds began to fill it and more thunder boomed as lightning began to strike. Margo didn't know what to do in that moment. Fear began to fill her and she couldn't get her legs to move no matter how many times she told them to do so. The only thing that got her to move was Zepplin head butting her from behind. She stumbled forward slightly, but quickly caught herself and started running. She could feel something getting closer to her every time a foot would stomp on the ground, and she didn't like whatever it was that was nearing her. She could feel the resort getting closer, but in the back of her mind she just knew she wasn't going to make it in time. She was just a little ways from the resort when something hit her and it hit her hard.

Margo felt a wetness against her right side. It was the thing that had hit her. She was thrown into the nearby forest, her back slamming and skidding across the ground. Rain had started pouring by then, so mud and leaves stuck to her back. She took a moment to catch her breath since she had been caught off guard by whatever had hit her. She sat up, panic written all over her face. All she could hear was the storm above her, so she couldn't concentrate on figuring out where the enemy was. She was sure if she concentrated hard enough, she would be able to hear them, but her fear overtook her mind and clouded it. She wouldn't be very good at combat in this state.

"Zepplin!" she shouted. No reply came from the hound and Margo couldn't sense him near her, "Dammit!" she cursed, angry that she had taken his voice that morning. She also cursed at the fact that Gajeel and Natsu weren't there with her either. Even if they all argued with each other, it would have been better if they were there since she was practically useless at the moment. Instead, the two men were back at the resort, ignorant of what was going on. All Margo knew was whatever was attacking her right now was what was causing all the problems at the resort, "Come out and show yourself!" she shouted, trying to ignore her fear.

"It's not like you can see me anyways," a deep voice stated. Margo could tell it was a man, but his voice sounded altered somehow, "You're blind."

"That makes no difference!" she yelled, flinching at the next big boom of thunder.

"Tch, and look how scared you are. And you call yourself a Dragon Slayer," he mocked her.

"How do you know I'm a Dragon Slayer?" Margo asked, confusion adding to the fear she felt.

"I know more about you than you think," the voice replied.

"What are you talking about?!" she shouted.

"There's no time for explanations," he said, "Only time to prove myself."

"Prove yourself?" Margo asked. Before she could say or do anything else, a giant wave of water slammed down on top of her.

Margo opened her mouth to scream, but instead of sound coming out water rushed into her mouth. She swallowed some of it, but a lot of the water went down into her lungs. The wave that slammed down on her began to circle around her. It lifted her up off the ground and she was stuck floating in the middle of a huge orb of water. Margo tried to move out of it, but she didn't know top from bottom and she couldn't sense anything without being able to stomp down on the ground. She thought about using her sonar spell, but with only water entering her mouth when she opened it, the spell wouldn't work. Margo couldn't think of anything spell to use since she felt darkness starting to take over her mind. The last things she could hear before she passed out was a small tinkling of a bell and a bark that sounded like a roar.

Zepplin entered the scene is his large form. He ran towards Margo and jumped through the water orb. He grabbed her with his mouth, gently holding her in between his teeth. He jumped out through the other side of the orb and skidded to a stop on the ground. He lied Margo on the ground and turned to face the enemy that had attacked his family. He growled deeply since he had his voice back and bared his fangs at the invisible attacker. He could smell them, though, and they smelled very familiar. He didn't have time to think about the scent when large orbs of water came crashing down on him. He stood over Margo's body in order to protect her. After the fourth orb smacked against his body, Zepplin retaliated by sending out a fireball. The fireball hit a water orb heading straight for him, turning it into nothing but steam. He sent out another fireball right after the first one. This one made it high up into the trees and Zepplin could hear a voice hissing in pain, indicating that it had hit the enemy.

"Stop ruining things, you mangy mutt!" the voice shouted. Zepplin roared in defiance at the voice. Before Zepplin could do anything else, a spiral of water hit him. The force of the water sent him and Margo's body flying backwards into a stream. The stream started to overflow, causing Margo and Zepplin to wash away from the area.

Silence filled the area as a light blue cloaked figure stepped forward on a branch high up in the trees. A purple cat sat on its shoulders with a tinkling bell collar. The cat suddenly transformed and in a puff of smoke, a purple cat that looked like Happy appeared. It still wore the bell collar and it had on a light blue sundress.

"I don't think that was the right thing to do, Rocco," the cat said in a quiet voice, staring after Margo and Zepplin in worry.

"No, it wasn't," Rocco stated, "She was supposed to be by herself."

"That's not what I meant," the cat frowned, "I think this whole situation is wrong. Miss Margo hasn't done anything wrong."

"She's done everything wrong, Penelope!" Rocco shouted, "I told you that already!"

"I still say you're wrong, Rocco," Penelope retorted as she sprouted white wings and flew down from the trees.

"Penelope!" he shouted after her. He frowned, wondering if Penelope was right. He looked down the path that he had just washed Margo and Zepplin down. Even if Penelope was right, it was too late to turn back now.

**. : + : .**

Zepplin turned into his smaller form as he and Margo were thrashed around in the water. He tried his best to swim towards Margo, but he just couldn't fight against the rushing water. He managed to break the surface to take in air. He saw Margo off to the side of him, being pushed towards a large boulder that was coming up on them. Zepplin pushed himself towards Margo and clamped his teeth down on the material of her tank top. He tugged backwards as hard as he could, barely managing to pull Margo out of the boulder's way. Zepplin kept his hold on Margo as he struggled to keep above the surface. Luckily, the water began to slow down and eventually they were floating in a small stream. He paddled his way to the edge of the stream and dragged Margo to the side of it.

Once he had her laying on the ground, Zepplin walked out of the water and shook himself off quickly. He walked up to Margo and nuzzled her cheek, thinking she should have woken up by now. He licked her cheek and pawed at her shoulder, but Margo didn't move. Zepplin whined and curled up next to Margo.

"Margo!"

Zepplin popped his head off Margo upon hearing the shout. He recognized the voice as Natsu's, and so, he began barking in reply.

"Zepplin!" Happy shouted over the rain, appearing before the fire dragon. He flew down the steep hill and saw Margo laying on the ground, pale and unmoving, "Oh no!" he said as he landed and ran up to Margo. He began to shake her, but she didn't move, "Margo! Wake up!"

"Happy! Did you find them?" Natsu called down to them from atop the hill.

"Natsu!" Happy cried, turning to the rosette with tear filled eyes, "Margo's not moving!"

Natsu's eyes went wide when he heard the blue cat's words. He rushed down the hill, not caring that he was getting mud all over himself. He came to a stop in front of Margo and saw how pale her face was.

"Natsu! What do we do?" Happy continued to cry, "She's not breathing!"

Natsu started to panic, not quite sure what he should do. Though, a thought quickly came to mind, "What was that thing that Mira was teaching all of us a while back?" he questioned aloud, "Think, think, think," he repeated, "Dammit! What was it?!"

"CPR?" Happy said.

"Yes, that's it!" Natsu answered as he bent down over Margo's body. He was a little nervous doing this, but he quickly shook it away. He had to do this to save Margo. He moved her chin back to open the airway before blowing air into her lungs. He pushed down on her chest the correct number of times he needed to before blowing air into her lungs again. He kept on doing this process over and over again, refusing to give up on her, "Come on Margo! Breathe! You can't give up here!" he shouted over the thunder and rain pouring down on them. He blew more air into her lungs and he pushed down two more times before Margo finally came to and began coughing up water. Natsu turned her on her side so she could cough the water out onto the ground and to keep it from going back down her throat. Once she coughed up the last of the water, she began taking in large gulps of air.

"Margo, are you all right?" Natsu asked.

"Natsu?" she wheezed out, holding onto him tightly. Her hair was covering her face since the water had knocked it out of its ponytail. She stayed looking towards the ground until she was able to catch her breath.

"Yeah, it's me," he answered, "What happened?"

"I was attacked," she replied, trying to move to sit up. She had no strength, though, and would have face planted into the mud if Natsu hadn't been holding onto her.

"Attacked?" he questioned before his face turned dark, "Someone did this to you? Who attacked you?" he asked darkly.

"I don't know," she answered, "Rocco and I were in the town and then we split up to go our separate ways. Then the storm started to roll in and then I was slammed into the forest and then I was taken over by water and it was everywhere and I couldn't get out and…and…and…" she explained, beginning to panic while remembering what had happened to her.

"It's all right," Natsu said, "It's over now. I've got you," he added, hugging her against him.

"I was so useless, Natsu," Margo whispered into his shoulder.

"You're not useless," he retorted lowly, "You're a Fairy Tail wizard."

"Can we just go back to the resort?" she asked.

"Yeah," he answered, picking her up bridal style. He held her close and used his fire magic to slowly warm her up. Happy and Zepplin followed closely, the small group making it up the hill and back towards the resort.

**. : + : .**

"I've been through this whole damn town," Gajeel grumbled, "And still no sight of either Siren or the weirdo," he said as he ran down a street in the rain. He and Natsu had decided to split up to search for Margo when they heard the storm coming in. They knew that she would be afraid of the storm and they knew that Rocco didn't know about her fear. Gajeel had told Natsu to check around the resort just in case they had come back while he went to the town to look for them. He was sure he had been up and down every street at least three times, but he still couldn't find them.

He was just about to head back to the resort when he spotted Rocco walking in the middle of the street. Though, he didn't see Margo or Zepplin or the purple cat that had been on his shoulders earlier. Gajeel ran up to the man, thinking he would know where Margo was.

"Oi!" Gajeel shouted over the rain, catching Rocco's attention. The man turned to stare at Gajeel with surprised and guilt-filled eyes. The iron dragon decided to ignore the look in his eyes for now, too focused on finding Margo.

"Gajeel," Rocco stated, "What are you doing out here in the rain?"

"I'd like to ask you the same thing," Gajeel retorted, "Where's Margo?"

"We separated a while back," he answered, "Didn't she make it back to the room?"

"Why did you separate?"

"We were headed back to the resort together when I remembered I left something at the café," he explained, "I told her to head on back without me. That's the last time I saw her. Is everything okay?"

"No, it's not," he grunted as he took off running towards the resort.

Rocco continued to stare after him with guilt before he began walking in the other direction again.

Gajeel didn't like the feeling in the pit of his stomach. If Margo had been heading back to the resort when the storm started up, then he would have ran into her on his way into town. They hadn't crossed paths at all. He hoped that she would have simply taken a short cut through the forest to get to the resort and was waiting inside their room for him. Though, he had a strange feeling that wasn't the case.

He ran as fast as he could towards the resort, never stopping once as he made his way up to their room. He threw the door open, expecting to see Margo turning to smile at him with his headphones on; but there was nothing. Not even the blue cat was in the suite. He moved further inside, hoping that maybe they were sleeping in their rooms. He checked Margo's room first only to see no one in the room. Just as he was passing the sliding glass door to check his and Natsu's room, Gajeel saw something moving outside. He stopped in front of the door to see a muddy Natsu coming out from the forest that surrounded the hot spring. His eyes went wide when he saw that Natsu was carrying a pale Margo. She was muddy like Natsu and her hair hung around and clung to her face. She hung onto Natsu tightly while the fire dragon walked with his hair shadowing his face. Happy and Zepplin were right behind the pair.

Gajeel flung the door open so hard that he thought he could have broken it. He ran out towards them, "What the fuck happened?" he growled, looking between Natsu and Margo.

"Someone attacked her and nearly drowned her," Natsu answered in a dark tone.

"What?! Who the hell did it?" Gajeel shouted, his fists clenching.

"We don't know," Natsu answered, lifting his head to look at Gajeel with fire filled eyes, "But I'm gonna destroy whoever the piece of shit is that did this to Margo," he growled deeply before side stepping Gajeel and heading inside along with Happy and Zepplin.

Gajeel continued to stand out in the rain, his breathing starting to become ragged from his anger overtaking him. He couldn't get the picture of Margo lying in Natsu's arms like she was a rag doll. His heavy breathing was causing his shoulders and chest to rise and fall steadily; and when he finally heard the door click shut behind him, he let out a loud and angry shout. His right arm was suddenly covered in iron and he punched the stone ground hard. The ground busted into pieces and cracks spread out from the impact of the punch. Natsu was right. Whoever did this to her was going to wish they hadn't.

* * *

**A/N: **Well there you go! Hope you all enjoyed it! I'll have the next one up soon!

Remember to review please!

Yours Truly,

MyDearWatson


	18. It Could Have Been Much Worse

**A/N: **Finally! The next chapter is up!

This chapter took me a little longer to write and it's not even my longest one. I kept re-writing this chapter over and over again. I wasn't liking the way it was coming out and I was wasn't going to post something that I didn't think was worthy of it. I mean, this is the flashback that I wanted to write for you readers and to better explain things when Margo was little, so I wanted it to come out really well. I hope you all enjoy it!

I would like to thank Link, Raiyane, Kasai no Oni, MusicOfMadness and Emmatin for their reviews!

Link - Yeah, I wanted to do something with a little fluff for Margo and Gajeel since I had decided to have Natsu save her. The very last scene was actually my most favorite out of all of them. You'll find out about Rocco in the next chapter and I'm hoping you all like what happens with him. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Raiyane - LOL! I didn't even notice that was the chapter you reviewed on. Usually I'm just happy about getting a review. ^.^ And it took me forever to figure out how to get someone to eat sound! That's why I hadn't explained it up until now. And I'm glad to hear that the Gajeel and Margo moments are turning out well. This chapter may hit you in the emotions a little too, lol. And next chapter should answer your questions about Rocco. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Kasai no Oni - Wow! You were really excited about the new Dragon Slayer OC. Glad to hear that you like him so much. ^.^ Hope you enjoy this chapter!

MusicOfMadness - Yeah, I think that's why I had Natsu save Margo. I wanted to build his relationship with her a little more and I thought it would get him to feel more anger towards Margo's attacker if he found her instead of Gajeel, that way when the big fight happens he would go all out in it. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Emmatin - For Penelope, she actually has transformation magic. It'll be explained next chapter, but there really hasn't been a scene to explain it yet. And you should be finding out about Rocco next chapter. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

I don't own Fairy Tail!

Please enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 18: It Could Have Been Much Worse**

_A three year old Margo woke up from the ground that her and her brothers had camped out on for the night. She rubbed her tired eyes, the molten gold orbs staring at their surroundings. She began sniffling a little at the thought of not being home anymore. She did her best to keep quiet, so as not to wake her brothers up; but it had only been three weeks since their parents had died. Aero had explained to her that they had been murdered, saying that someone or something had killed them, but that only made her cry more. She didn't understand why anyone would want to hurt her parents. She didn't really understand any of it other than the fact that her parents were gone. She would never get any more goodnight kisses from her mommy or see her smile in the morning. She would never get any more piggyback rides from her daddy and she would never hear him call her 'baby doll' anymore. She wouldn't get to hug them or talk to them ever again._

_Margo stood up and ran from her spot with her brothers. She began crying harder, like she did every morning, and she didn't want to wake her brothers up. They were already sad enough without having to see her cry. Though, Margo was sure they knew she cried._

_She made her way to the river that wasn't too far from where they had slept. She stared down into it, watching as her tears made ripples in the water as they fell. For a moment she could see her parents in the ripples and her little hands began reaching out for them. Their pictures quickly faded and Margo balled her hands into tiny fists and slammed them in the water, splashing herself in the process._

"_Are you all right, little one?" a woman's voice asked softly._

_Margo looked to her left to see a huge, opalescent dragon sitting at the river's edge, staring at her as if the dragon had expected her to show up at the river that morning. Margo jumped in shock and slight fear, falling backwards on her butt._

"_Y…you're a dragon," Margo stuttered._

"_Yes, I am," the dragon answered, "But that doesn't answer my question," she said, her pink eyes staring kindly at Margo._

"_I…I'm okay," Margo answered, still stuttering due to the fact that she was talking to a dragon._

"_Then why are you crying?" she asked._

_Margo lifted a hand to her face to feel that tears were still streaming down her face. Her vision began to blur as more tears flowed out. Margo curled into a little ball, not knowing what else to do._

"_Oh, little one," the dragon cooed softly, bending her long neck down to nuzzle her long snout against Margo's head. Margo lifted her head, surprised by the dragon's kindness. Her brothers had always told her scary stories about fearsome dragons trying to take over different lands, so it shocked her a little by this dragon's actions._

_Margo flung herself around the dragon's snout, hugging it tightly, "My mommy and daddy are gone," she cried into the smooth scales, "It's just me and my brothers now."_

_The dragon stayed silent and let the child cry out her pain. Eventually, the small girl let her grip loosen, letting the dragon lift her head up a little, "Did your parents love you?"_

"_Yeah," Margo sniffed._

"_Then you'll never really lose them," the dragon explained, "If you remember them and how much they loved you, then you will always have them in your heart."_

"_In my heart?" Margo asked, covering a hand over her own heart._

"_Yes, little one, never forget their love and never forget how to love."_

_Margo nodded her head at the dragon while wiping the tears from her eyes. Even if she didn't fully understand what the dragon was telling her, she would do her best to do what she was telling her. Margo could remember to love. Her mommy and daddy had taught her how to do that much at least._

"_What is your name?" the dragon asked._

"_I'm Margo."_

"_Well, Margo, my name is Philomela and welcome to my home," she said._

"_You live by the river?"_

"_Of course," the dragon answered, "It makes such a lovely sound."_

_Margo shrugged, "If you say so."_

"_Maybe you'll understand one day, little one," Philomela chuckled, "Now, you said you have brothers?"_

"_I've got two!" Margo said with a smile and holding up two fingers at the dragon. It was the first time she had smiled since her parents had died, and Margo liked the way it felt. She had been so tired of crying day after day that she was happy to have found something that could make her smile again, "Aero and Dante! Aero's the oldest!_

"_Let me guess, you're the youngest?" Philomela laughed lightly._

"_Yeah!"_

"_Well, how about you introduce me to your brothers," the dragon suggested._

"_Only if I get to ride on you."_

_Philomela gave Margo a disbelieving look, surprised by the request. The dragon smiled when she saw Margo's excitement at the prospect of being able to ride on a dragon, "All right, but you'll have to hold on tightly._

"_I can do that!"_

_Philomela bent her head down completely to the ground. Margo scrambled herself up off the ground and ran over to the dragon's lowered neck. She put her hands around the top of Philomela's neck, kicking her legs in order to get herself on top. With a little help from one of Philomela's wings, Margo was finally sitting on top of the dragon. The opalescent beast stood up then, causing Margo to slide down her neck since there was nothing to hold on to. She stopped when she hit the start of the dragon's back, sitting in between her shoulder blades and wings._

"_You ready, little one?"_

"_Yeah! My brothers are up that way," she answered, pointing up the path she had ran down that morning._

_Philomela began walking the way that Margo indicated. Margo laughed as the dragon moved, feeling like she was on a ride at the carnival. The dragon's back was wide enough to ensure that she wouldn't fall off, so Margo fully enjoyed the little walk over to her brothers. When they got to the little open area they had slept in, Philomela spotted two young boys still sleeping. _

_Dante was the first to roll over, his body responding the sudden lack of sunlight he had just been feeling. He opened his eyes to see what blocked out the sun while yawning. He blinked his eyes a few times before they flew wide open. He shouted in fear, easily waking his older brother up._

"_What's your problem, Dante?" Aero asked sleepily while sitting up._

"_D…dr…dragon!" Dante shouted._

"_What? Were you having a nightmare?" Aero asked, still not noticing the giant beast standing in front of them. Dante jumped over to his brother and forced him to look up. Aero's eyes went wide at the sight. Both brothers grabbed onto each other in fear, thinking the dragon was going to eat them._

"_Hey guys! Look what I found!" Margo announced with a smile, her head popping out from behind the dragon's neck. _

"_MARGO!" both brothers shouted, their eyes going white in shock._

"_Margo, you get down from there right now!" Aero yelled, suddenly forgetting his fear of the dragon in order to scold his little sister._

"_No!"_

"_You don't even know where that thing has been! And what if it tries to eat you? What are you going to do then?"_

_Margo stared at him flatly, "Her name is Philomela and she's not gonna eat me," she retorted. She may have only been three years old, but Margo was smarter than Aero ever gave her credit for. Sometimes, she even had to wonder how smart her brother was._

_Philomela sat down on the ground and smiled at the boys, "I'm not going to hurt you, little ones."_

_Dante was the first to feel relaxed at the sound of Philomela's voice. He stared up at her with wide, curious eyes before he smiled and made his way over to the dragon._

"_Dante! What are you doing?!" Aero shouted, not liking the fact that both of his siblings were crawling all over the dragon._

"_If she was going to eat us, she would have done it by now," Dante retorted, "Besides, big brothers aren't scared of dragons!"_

"_Tch," Aero replied with, turning away from the small group in front of him. He was supposed to protect his younger siblings. He had promised his father that. But how was he supposed to do that when they didn't even listen to him?_

_Philomela reached her long neck towards him, her snout stopping right in front of him, "It's all right to be scared, little one."_

"_I'm not little!" he shouted, turning to face the dragon. He yelped in fear upon seeing the snout right in front of him. He fell backwards, shaking slightly in fright._

"_As I said, I'm not going to hurt you," she said softly, before picking him up by the back of his shirt._

"_Put me down, you stupid dragon!" Aero yelled, trying to wiggle out of her grasp._

_Philomela carried him over to her back and sat him down with the other two children, "Seems you have some manners to learn," she said, huffing at him with her snout._

"_Yeah? Are you gonna teach them to me?"_

"_As a matter of fact, I am," Philomela answered with a small smile, "You three will live with me from now on."_

"_We don't need your help," Aero mumbled, "I told my dad I would take of us on my own."_

"_Do you even know where the next town is? And if you do, what do you expect to do? You can't get a job when you're so young. So how are you going to feed your younger siblings?"_

_Aero stayed quiet, not knowing how to answer any of her questions. Tears started to slide down his cheeks. Aero tried to quickly wipe them away, not wanting to show his weakness, "I'm supposed to protect them now that our parents are gone."_

"_And protect them you will, little one," Philomela said softly, smiling when Margo made her way over to her brother and hugged him tightly, "But until you're old enough to feed them and clothe them, I will take care of you. Deal?"_

"_Deal," Aero mumbled, hugging Margo back. Margo then settled herself in her brother's lap as Philomela began walking again._

_**. : + : .**_

_A now four year old Margo laughed as her brothers chased her in a game of tag. Philomela watched them from a close distance. Over the past year, the four of them had become a family. It still hurt for the siblings to think about their parents, but Philomela made the pain hurt less. She looked after them like a mother would, scolding them when they needed it, but loving them unconditionally._

_Philomela had also started to teach them her sound magic as well, mostly focusing on Margo. The little girl seemed to pick up on the magic much easier than her brothers. Philomela was sure that all of them would become mages, but she had a feeling that Margo would be the only one that would become a Dragon Slayer. Her brothers didn't seem to be interested in the sound magic so much, but Margo was always eager to learn. Margo was always begging her to teach her something new every day._

_The three siblings ran off towards the river that they lived by. Philomela laid down for a nap in the sun, not worried about the children getting too far. She could also hear them laughing off in the distance. If anything were to happen, she would be able to get to them quickly; so she relaxed and soaked in the afternoon sun._

"_You can't catch me!" Margo laughed as she ran towards the river._

"_I'm older than you, so that means I'm faster!" Aero shouted to her._

_Margo ran towards the edge of the river and waited for Aero to reach her. When he was close enough, she side stepped him and he plunged into the cool river water. Margo laughed loudly, Dante joining her when he reached her side. Aero sat up in the water, running a hand through his hair to push it out of his face while spitting water out._

"_Nice one, Margo," Dante grinned, giving his sister a high five._

"_You may be fast, but you can't stop on a dime like me," Margo smiled, looking down at her brother._

"_Whatever," Aero replied, sticking his hand out, "Just help me out of the water."_

_Margo smirked, already knowing what he was planning on doing. She pushed Dante forward to help Aero instead of herself. Aero grabbed onto Dante's outstretched hand and he pulled hard, successfully bringing him down into the water. Margo laughed at the scene of both her brothers soaked in the river. They moved to grab her next, but a loud clash of thunder stopped them. They looked up to see dark gray clouds rolling in quickly, covering the bright sun and white puffy clouds. They could see lightning coming down in bolts and they heard thunder rolling after every streak. They had seen storms before, but with how quickly this one was rolling in it made it seem unnatural._

"_Get out of the water," Margo told her brothers, not liking the feeling in the pit of her stomach. Something was coming and whatever it was, it wasn't going to be good. When her brothers didn't move, too busy watching the storm rolling in, Margo shouted at them, "Get out!"_

"_All right, all right," Aero said, "No need to get snippy."_

_He stood up and pulled Dante up with him. Just as they began moving for the shore, a loud sloshing noise began off in the distance. They could feel rumbling underneath their feet as the noise got closer to them. Soon enough, a huge wave came tearing down from one end of the river. All three of the sibling's eyes went wide with fear, their bodies frozen for a moment._

"_Get out of the river!" Margo finally shouted, but it was too late._

_The giant wave was too fast and it knocked Aero and Dante down like they were twigs. It managed to catch Margo as well since she was standing to close to the river bank. She suddenly felt water swallowing her up and she couldn't breathe. The force of the water had her spinning all around under the water and she thought for sure she was going to drown. She suddenly felt a hand on her arm, pulling her up to the surface. Margo coughed and took in deep breaths when she hit the surface. She looked to her side to see Aero had been the one to pull her up._

"_Aero!" she shouted._

"_I've got you!" he shouted over the storm and the rushing water._

"_Where's Dante?!"_

_That was when an aqua head popped out of the water, hacking and coughing to clear his air way. Aero grabbed onto him tightly with his free hand, trying his best to make sure both his younger siblings stayed above the water. He didn't know what to do. The water was too fast for them to try to swim towards the shore. There was nothing for him to grab onto at the moment. The most he could do was hold the other two up and hope they got out of this alive. It seemed that Lady Luck was against him, though, when he saw a large tree trunk heading towards them. He knew there was no way that he could move all of them out of the way in time. He did, however, have time to throw at least one of them out of the log's way._

"_Margo!" he shouted, "When I throw you, make sure you swim hard towards the shore!"_

"_What?!" she shouted back, "No! We aren't separating!"_

"_You don't have a choice!"_

"_No! I'm not going!"_

"_Sorry Margo," Aero frowned, letting Dante go and grabbing her with both arms, "We love you," he whispered in her ear before launching her sideways. _

_Margo screamed for him, her arms reaching out for him, but nothing she did changed the situation. She was still flying backwards and her brothers were still hit by the log that she narrowly missed. She landed back in the water with a loud splash. She began spinning under the water again, but she somehow managed to push herself back up to the surface with the need to find her brothers. She looked all around her trying to spot the log or even Dante's aqua hair. Finally, she saw Aero struggling to hold up an unconscious Dante while blood poured down the side of his face where the log had hit him. Margo was about to call out to them when she saw that the river was leading towards a waterfall. Her eyes went wide, seeing that her brothers were much closer to the edge of the fall than she was._

"_Aero!" she screamed, hoping that he would hear her over the storm and the flood._

_Aero looked up at her and then saw where her eyes were focused. His own eyes went wide in fear and he began to frantically search for something to grab onto to keep him and Dante from going over the edge. There was nothing near him at all and he was too far from the shore to head for it. They would never make it in time. He looked to Margo one last time, seeing the grief and fear in her eyes. He silently apologized to her before squeezing his eyes shut and grabbing onto Dante tightly. He felt himself begin to tip of the edge of the waterfall. The last thing he heard was Margo screaming out for him._

"_AERO!" Margo screamed again, not caring that she was starting to lose her voice. Tears were pouring out from watching her brothers go over the edge of the fall, but the water rushing around her and the storm above her kept washing them away. All she could hear was the flood and the booming of the thunder. She didn't have the strength to swim for the shore. The flood was wearing her body out and part of her wanted to fall with her brothers. A large swirl of water suddenly caught her legs and she began spinning back and forth. Her body was being thrashed around until the water eventually swirled her around one last time and her head smacked right into a rock that sat in the river. Margo felt herself fading into unconsciousness, darkness starting to ebb at the corners of her vision. She saw her world slowly turn to black and she felt the water consume her._

'_Why is it so dark?' she thought before she slipped into the world of unconsciousness._

_**. : + : .**_

"_Margo," Philomela called out frantically, "Margo, wake up."_

"_Huh?" Margo mumbled, her mind hazy._

"_Margo," the dragon called again._

"_Philomela? What happened?" she asked, "I think I had a bad dream," she said groggily, opening her eyes. She blinked a few times, not understanding why everything was dark. She could feel her eyes open, but she couldn't see a single thing. She started to panic, not understanding what was going on, "I…I can't see. Philomela! I can't see!"_

"_Calm down, little one," Philomela said, trying her best to keep Margo from hearing her own worry. She waved a claw in front of Margo, but the girl didn't make any motion of seeing it._

"_Why can't I see?" Margo asked, her breathing starting to pick up in fear._

"_I'm afraid when you hit the rock, it must have damaged your vision."_

"_Can't you fix it? You have magical powers," Margo asked on the verge of crying._

"_I don't have healing powers, Margo," she answered._

_Margo couldn't fully wrap her four year old mind around the fact that she was now blind. How was she going to function? How was she even going to walk? And she wouldn't be able to see Philomela or her brothers again._

"_My brothers," Margo whispered, suddenly remembering watching them go over the edge of the waterfall before her world went black, "Where are my brothers?" she asked frantically, her arms flinging outwards to feel for them. They should have been swarming over her if they were here. Why hadn't she heard either of them speak yet? They had to be there with Philomela, playing some sort of cruel joke on her, "Aero! Dante! Where are you guys?!" she started to shout._

"_Little one," the dragon started softly, staring down at Margo sadly, "They're gone."_

"_What?" Margo asked, not believing what she had just heard, "They can't be gone."_

"_They fell over the edge of the waterfall," she answered, "I searched for them after pulling you out of the river, but I couldn't find a trace of them. The flood washed them away."_

"_No," Margo breathed out, "No!" she shouted, "They're not gone!"_

"_I'm sorry, Margo," Philomela said, gently nuzzling Margo with her snout._

"_No! Aero! Dante!" she screamed as she grabbed onto Philomela's snout tightly and began sobbing into it, "AERO!"_

**. : + : .**

"Margo!" Natsu shouted, shaking said woman. She had started screaming in her sleep in the middle of the night, waking everyone in the living room. Natsu had been trying to wake her up for a few minutes with no luck, "Wake up, dammit!"

"Cursing at her ain't gonna help," Gajeel snapped, pushing the fire dragon out of the way.

"Then how do you expect to wake her up?" he bit back.

"Just shut up," Gajeel growled while pulling the frightened woman up from the makeshift bed she was lying in. She thrashed around in his arms, even when he hugged her tightly. She still moved around, but his tight grip was enough to keep her in place. At least this way, he knew that she wouldn't hurt anyone or herself with the wild way she had been throwing her body around, "Margo," he said solidly, "Wake up."

Natsu watched silently and in slight shock at the iron dragon's actions. He had never expected Gajeel to hug Margo. Had the situation not been so serious, Natsu probably would have laughed at him. It was a whole other side to Gajeel that he hadn't know the man could possess. Maybe he wasn't as bad as he originally thought him to be.

Somewhere in Margo's mind, she had heard the solid voice. She let it bring her back to reality and she woke with a shout of Aero's name and a hand reaching out as if she was grabbing for him. Her eyes were wide with shock as she took in her surroundings. She had almost expected to be a four year old with a dragon in front of her. Her dream had been so real and so vivid. She hadn't dreamed in actual solid pictures in a long time.

Once her dream started to slowly fade from her mind, Margo realized that she was back in the suite with Natsu and Gajeel and with the later man hugging her. She dropped her outstretched hand and hugged the man back, letting the smell of iron and stone relax her.

"I'm sorry," Margo said quietly once she had calmed down enough. She then pulled herself away from Gajeel, feeling embarrassed that he had to hug her to calm her down from her dream.

"What the hell was that all about?!" Natsu shouted, not happy at having been woken up in the middle of the night.

'BAM'

"Ow! What was that for, you iron asshole?!" he growled, rubbing the spot on his head where Gajeel had hit him.

"Sometimes I wonder if you really have a brain up there," Gajeel grunted. He then turned to Margo, wanting to know what had just happened as much as Natsu, "But the flame head has a point. What happened?"

"I…I don't want to talk about it," she said quietly, circling her arms around her legs.

"I think you owe us an explanation after waking us up in the middle of the night," Natsu retorted.

There was a long silence as the three mages tried their best to be the most stubborn.

"We can go all night if we have to," Gajeel stated, crossing his arms, "You've been freaked out during this whole mission and I think we deserve a decent explanation for it."

Margo sighed deeply, know that both men were right. She just hoped that she would feel better after she spilled her guts to them, "Fine," she said, giving in. She quietly began to explain what the dream had been about and that it was what she had gone through when she was little. The two men listened with patient ears, not interrupting her during her entire explanation. Margo went silent after she finished her story.

"I'm sorry, Margo," Natsu said sadly.

"It's all right," she smiled sadly at him, "That was fourteen years ago and I've found my brothers now."

"But it still has to be hard to carry those memories around," he frowned.

"Yeah, but they also remind me of how I got here today," she said, "I wouldn't be here with either of you or at Fairy Tail if none of that had happened. So in a way, it was sort of a blessing in disguise I suppose. Besides, it could have been much worse."

"How?" Natsu asked, thinking that her past sounded pretty harsh already.

"Either my brothers or I could have died in that flood," she answered, "But we didn't. We lived and that's what matters most."

"Something seems strange though," Gajeel finally commented.

"What does?" Margo asked.

"What happened to you back then sounds like what happened to you earlier today," he answered, "It just sounds like today's attack was more controlled."

"What? You think that someone created that storm back then?" Margo asked.

"It could be possible," he said, "And if it is, that means the same person is attacking the resort."

"Maybe they wanted you to come out here, Margo," Natsu said.

"Wait. We don't even know if that's what's really going on around here," Margo replied, "And even if some person is doing this that attacked me when I was little, why would they be doing it? What would they have to gain out of attacking a four year old and then still coming after me fourteen years later?"

The two men shrugged in response.

"Who knows," Natsu said, "But there have been stranger things that have happened. We have to have an open mind on this since we don't have that many leads."

"Fine, we'll keep that as an option," Margo said, "Even though it's really farfetched."

"Good," Gajeel said, "Now let's get some sleep."

Natsu nodded in agreement and curled back up on his makeshift bed with Happy. In a few short minutes, he was fast asleep.

Margo fell backwards onto the pillow and blankets behind her, letting out a heavy sigh. She hadn't expected the night to go that way at all, but part of her did feel better after sharing her dream. At least she wasn't alone with her brothers in carrying that burden anymore.

"Gajeel," she said quietly after hearing the man settle back onto his own bed area, "I'm sorry if I keep bothering you with all these problems of mine," she said, hearing him grunt in reply.

"I've already told you that I'm always in the wrong place at the wrong time with you, woman," he said.

"I know," she said with a smile, "But I'm glad that you are," she stated with a yawn before rolling over and going to sleep.

"Tch," was all he replied with, but a faint pink color dusted his cheeks.

* * *

**A/N: **There you go! Hope you all liked it!

The next chapter should be a little easier for me to write and it'll have a huge fight scene that I'm super excited to write! So the next chapter should be a little longer than this one, not that I think you all will mind, LOL.

I'll have the next chapter up soon!

Remember to review please!

Yours Truly,

MyDearWatson


	19. There is Strength in Fear

**A/N: **And another chapter uploaded!

I had so much fun with this one! I got to write more fighting scenes and I just love them! I hope you all enjoy them too!

I would like to thank Link, winterorion and Kasai no Oni for their reviews!

Link - Good to hear you liked the memory chapter! I was worried about it since I re-wrote it a few times. LOL! I'll see what I can do about enlisting Rocco's help in shoe shopping! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

winterorion - Thanks! ^.^ Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Kasai no Oni - Glad to hear that enjoyed the last chapter! LOL! I'm getting to some moments for Gajeel and Margo. I'm happy to hear that you like them as a couple though! It's hard for me to wait so long too, but I just want to make sure their relationship is believable. Hopefully you'll be a little satisfied with the next chapter I have planned though. It should tide you over until I can figure out, as you put it, how to put some action into play for them. LOL! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

I don't own Fairy Tail!

Please enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 19: There is Strength in Fear**

"Excuse me," Margo said politely to the woman at the front desk.

"How can I help you?" she smiled, looking up from the files she had been going through.

"Could you tell me what room Rocco Lafayette is in please?"

"Of course," the woman answered, "Give me one moment to find his room number."

"Thank you," Margo smiled, turning to her team members while she waited.

"Why are we doing this again?" Gajeel asked gruffly with his arms crossed, not at all excited about seeking out the flamboyant man.

"Because I want to make sure Rocco is all right," Margo answered, "He seemed upset when we separated yesterday. Plus, you said you ran into him yesterday when you were looking for me. I'm sure he's worried. I want to let him know that I'm all right."

"But Margooooooooo," Natsu whined, "I can't handle that guy in the morning!"

"Too bad," she huffed, "We're going to see him. He's a friend and I want to make sure that he's all right."

"I'm sorry ma'am," the woman at the desk interrupted them, a frown on her face, "But it seems that Mr. Lafayette checked out of the resort about a half hour ago."

"What?" Margo asked, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, he turned in his keys just a little while ago," she answered, "He might be in town still if you really need to find him, though."

"All right," Margo said, "Thanks for your help."

"Any time," the woman smiled sadly.

Margo turned away from the desk, walking towards the front door of the resort.

"Where are you going?" Gajeel asked.

"To look for Rocco."

"But the lady at the front desk already told you he left," Natsu said.

"I don't care," Margo retorted, throwing the doors open, "I've got to try to find him in town. He wouldn't just leave like that."

"How do you know? You've barely known him for two days," Gajeel stated.

"So? I've only known you all for about a month. I would try to find you too," she said, sending them a hard stare, "Now, are you coming with me or what?"

"Yeah," the two men answered. While Margo was in the shower that morning, the two men had decided that there was no way in hell that they would be leaving Margo alone after what had happened yesterday; at least not until they figured out what was going on at the resort. Someone obviously had it out for her and that person was bound to show up again. When they did, they would have a fire dragon and an iron dragon to answer to.

The small group walked out of the resort and out into the town. Margo walked quickly, afraid that if she didn't move fast enough that she would miss catching Rocco. She was so focused on finding the man that she didn't notice the still stormy sky above them. The two men noticed, but kept quiet about it. It was better to not have the woman freaking out about a storm at the moment. Margo began asking people that were running stands if they had seen a man leaving the town that morning. No one had seen a thing. She found it strange that not a single person noticed Rocco leaving. He had to walk through the town to leave, so that means someone would have had to have seen him. Margo was starting to worry more. What if the person that attacked her attacked Rocco too?

"Where'd he go?" Margo asked aloud, a deep worry hanging in her voice.

"He probably just went home," Natsu said, "You did say he had been here for a while. Maybe his vacation was up."

"But he didn't even say goodbye," she frowned.

A heavy hand landed on top of her head, "Don't worry about it too much, Siren," Gajeel said, "There could have been an emergency he had to take care of."

"I suppose," she sighed, "But I still thought he would have said goodbye."

"You never know, he might show up at Fairy Tail one day to visit," Natsu smiled at her.

"I guess," she said.

"Besides, we have a mission to worry about right now," Gajeel stated.

Margo nodded at them, but a feeling in the pit of her stomach wouldn't let her drop the subject from her mind. Something still didn't seem right. The way Rocco had acted yesterday and then he suddenly up and leaves that morning, Margo got the feeling something else was going on that Rocco hadn't told her about. Before Margo could think further on the subject, a tinkling of a bell caught her attention. She turned sharply on her heels, surprising the rest of her team.

"What is it, Margo?" Natsu asked.

"Shut up!" she hissed. Silence filled the area again and Margo strained to hear the noise again. Soon she heard the bell a second time and the memory of the night before flooded her mind. She knew that bell. She had heard it before she fell into unconsciousness. She heard it a third time and it suddenly hit Margo that she had heard that noise before she was attacked. She remembered hearing it yesterday morning when they had met up with Rocco. It was the sound that came from the bell collar of his cat, Penelope.

'It couldn't be the same, could it?' Margo thought, 'If that was the case, then that would mean that Rocco would have to be the person causing all the problems at the resort and it would also mean that he was the one who attacked me. But it just can't be…can it?'

A familiar scent of fresh magic suddenly wafted through the air. Margo breathed it in deeply to find out which way it was coming from. Before she could explain what was going on to her group, she took off running at full speed. She refused to lose the trace of the magical scent this time. She would make sure to catch the person it was coming from. She had to make sure to catch them to prove to herself that it wasn't Rocco that had been the one causing problems.

"Wait! Margo!" Natsu shouted when she took off running.

The rest of the group took off after her, Zepplin catching up to her first. He barked up at her.

"You smell it too, boy?" she asked him, earning another bark in reply.

"What are you chasing after?" Gajeel asked when he had caught up with her.

"You can't smell it?" she asked, "It's the same scent as the one in the empty hot springs."

The group went silent after that, quickly making their way through the town. Eventually, the smell led them out of the town and deep into the forest. The group was actually happy for this since it would keep the town from being destroyed if a fight ensued. The ground was still soft and muddy from all the rain that had been coming down in the area. It made it a little hard for Margo to completely feel the vibrations in the ground to navigate her way around. A few times Gajeel and Natsu had to pull her out of a tree's way.

"Don't be losing your cool now," Gajeel grunted as he pulled Margo away from another tree. Instead of letting her move back to where she had been, he made her run in front of him so he could guide her better.

"I'm not losing my cool," she snapped back at him, "This damn mud makes it hard for me to move around."

"Don't you have that sonar spell?" he asked.

"Yeah, but I don't want to waste my magic yet," she answered, "Just make sure I don't run into a tree like you've been doing and we'll be fine."

"Whatever," he grumbled, but he knew he would do what she asked of him.

Soon they came to a large opening in the middle of the forest. Margo stopped in the middle of the opening, smelling the magic she had been following all around the area.

"We're close," she said to the others.

Clapping suddenly began echoing in the area. The small team looked all around the area to try to locate the source of the sound, "Job well done, Fairy Tail mages," a familiar voice said. The person the voice belonged to stepped out into the opening, a ghost of a smile on their lips, "But I do believe you would have never found me unless I had wanted you to. I was growing tired of waiting for you to solve the mystery."

"Rocco?" Margo asked with shock when she registered his voice.

"Yes, honey, it's me," he stated.

"Y…you're the one doing this?" she stuttered, "It can't be."

"I'm afraid it is," he said with a serious face, "It was surprising how easily it was to fool you, the great Sound Dragon Slayer."

"So you've been destroying the resort? And you were the one that attacked me yesterday?" she asked.

"Yeah, looks that way," he answered.

Gajeel and Natsu tried to move towards the man, wanting nothing more than to rip him to pieces. Margo stood in front of the two men, knowing that she needed answers from Rocco. She wouldn't be able to get them if the two men beat the crap out of him.

"Move Margo," Natsu said darkly.

"No."

"But he's the one that hurt you!" Natsu shouted, "Are you really gonna stand here and protect him?!"

Rocco roared with laughter, "You think I need her protection? That's priceless!" he said, continuing to laugh, "I'm more dangerous than you think, my Natsu-chan."

"Don't fucking call me that!" Natsu shouted in reply, trying to find a way around Margo.

"Natsu! Stop!" Margo shouted, pushing the fire dragon backwards, "I'm not protecting him! I'm trying to get answers from him. You can have what's left of him after I'm finished."

"Sweetheart, do you really think you can take me after what happened yesterday?" he asked with a smirk.

"Shut up!" Margo yelled, whipping around quickly when she heard Rocco's question. There was a moment of silence as Margo sent him a hard stare and Rocco's face changed to a serious look, "Why Rocco?" Margo asked, her voice going soft, "Why would you do all these things? I thought we were friends?"

"We were never friends," he spat out, "We were never meant to be."

"But we had fun yesterday, didn't we?"

"I was just pretending," he answered, looking away from her.

Margo scowled at his answer, hearing the lie in his voice, "Don't lie to me, Rocco," she said lowly.

"I'm not lying."

"Bull shit!" she shouted, "I can hear it in your voice. You're lying!"

"It doesn't matter if we had fun or not!" he shouted back at her, "It's not like one day is going to change everything!"

"What are you talking about?!"

"You took Philomela away from me!" he shouted, causing a dead silence to pass through the area.

Margo's eyes went wide upon hearing his words. How did he know Philomela? And what did he have to do with her foster mother? She never remembered Philomela talking about any sort of boy when she was with her. And she was three years old when she met the dragon. How the hell had she taken the dragon away from Rocco?

"What are you talking about?" Margo asked.

"You and your stupid brothers took Philomela away from me," Rocco repeated, "I found her first! I was supposed to be her pupil! She was supposed to take me in and teach me her magic! Instead, you showed up and ruined everything!"

"You're not making any sense!" Margo yelled, "I've never met you until two days ago and Philomela never spoke of another human."

"I was six years old and I had been alone since I was three," Rocco began, "One day, I stumbled across Philomela, but I was too scared to approach her. I kept waiting until I had the courage to approach her and then the day finally came when I felt like I could introduce myself to her. To ask her to take me in and to teach me the things she knew, but then you showed up and took her from me. You blinked those big gold eyes at her and it was hook, line and sinker. You already had two brothers! Wasn't that enough for you?! You couldn't just let me have Philomela?!"

"You should have just showed yourself then," Margo retorted, "We would have let you into our family."

"No! She was supposed to be mine!"

"Philomela wasn't something you could own!"

"That doesn't change the fact that I found her first!" he shouted, "Luckily, I managed to find another dragon to take me in and teach me their magic. Can you guess what type of dragon it was?" he asked with a smirk, creating an orb of water in his hand.

"A water dragon," Margo said lowly when she smelled the water in the air.

"Yes, a water dragon. He took me in and taught me his magic," Rocco started, "And after a year I had some control over the element. I decided I had waited long enough to take out my revenge on you and your family."

"Wait," Margo said, her eyes going wide again, "You…you were the one that created that storm and flood? The one that separated my family?"

"Yes," he answered, "And it was the same storm that took away your vision."

"You bastard!" Margo shouted, "How dare you?! Do you even know what you did to me?!"

"And do you know what you did to me?!" he roared in anger.

"I was three, dammit!" Margo screamed, "I had just lost my parents! Philomela just happened to be there when I needed her. I didn't take her away from you. You let her slip through your own fingers! You had no right to take my brothers away from me! Especially after you ended up with a dragon!"

"But he wasn't Philomela! She was kind and I should have received that kindness!"

"A man like you doesn't deserve kindness! You ripped my family apart! You caused me to go blind! You almost killed me yesterday! And for what reason?! Because you were throwing a tantrum!" Margo screamed, her hands turning into fists, "Well, would you like to see what Philomela had to teach after all these years? I'll gladly show you!"

Margo aimed a punch right at Rocco's face, her sound magic surrounding her fist. Just as her fist was about to connect with his nose, a small figure landed on his shoulder and called out to Margo.

"Please stop!" Penelope called out, "Rocco doesn't know what he's doing!"

Margo stopped her punch just in time, stopping less than an inch from his nose.

"Penelope," Rocco said.

"Stop this Rocco," the purple cat pleaded, "You know you never meant to hurt anyone!"

Rocco went quiet for a moment, thinking about Penelope's plea. Soon, his face turned into a scowl, "Of course I meant to hurt them! She took everything from me!"

"Miss Margo didn't do anything to you," she retorted, "Deep down, you know that."

"It doesn't matter," Rocco growled, "It's too late to change things now. I have to finish what I started," he said, pushing the cat off of him. She sprouted wings to keep from falling to the ground. Before Penelope could move back to her partner, he began his attack on Margo, "Water Dragon's Ocean Pistol!" he shouted, sending several medium sized orbs of water at Margo. The force of the water caused Margo to go flying backwards, her body sliding across the mud, "Would you like to see what I've been taught? Water Dragon's Thunderstorm!" he yelled. The sky darkened even more while rain began to pour. Lightning began to strike down and thunder boomed across the sky, "I knew it was only a matter of time before Fairy Tail would send out mages to come look at this resort. I made sure to cause enough commotion in order for your guild to send a Dragon Slayer to check the place out. I wanted you to come here, Margo, in order to finish my revenge on you. I will show you that I'm more powerful than you'll ever dream to be. I will prove to you what sort of student I could have been to Philomela and that she chose wrong when she decided to teach you her magic!"

"You know nothing of strength when all you choose to use it for is revenge," Margo said darkly, picking herself up off the ground.

"You're wrong, Margo," Rocco stated, "Revenge is what fuels my every move. You speak of strength as if you know what that is. How can you understand strength when you can't even handle a little thunder?" he asked, causing the sky to explode with thunder.

Margo visibly flinched at the sound, but she stood her ground, "I'm still here to kick your ass, ain't I?" she asked, "I'm not running from my fear or blaming that fear on other people. That's strength, Rocco. Strength is being able to stand against the things you fear. What are you running from, Rocco? What's the fear the eats you alive every day?"

"I have no fear!"

"Are you sure about that?" Margo asked with a wicked smiled, a streak of lightning enhancing her features.

Rocco stared at her with wide eyes before feeling a presence behind him. He slowly turned around to come face to face with two furious Dragon Slayers. Natsu had flames all around him, the water falling not being enough to snuff them out. Gajeel had implemented his iron skin and the water easily slide off the metal scales that coated his body. Both of their faces were darkened with anger, Natsu narrowing his eyes at the man while bearing his fangs at him and Gajeel wore a nasty smirk, one that promised Rocco pain.

"You hurt my nakama," Natsu growled lowly, "I won't forgive you for that."

"We're gonna make you feel her pain," Gajeel seethed.

"I'm going to destroy you!" Natsu shouted, "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

"Iron Dragon's Hard Fist!" Gajeel yelled.

Both attacks moved at the same time, each man punching Rocco on each side of his face. Rocco was sent flying backwards, his back smacking against a tree. He coughed out in pain as he fell to his knees. One side of his face had a black scorch mark while the other had a dark bruise with blood dripping out of that side of his mouth.

Natsu moved on him first when he stood. He rushed up on Rocco, shouting "Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!" He head butted Rocco right in the stomach, bringing the man back down to his knees again. Natsu jumped up into the air after the attack, "Fire Dragon's Claw!" he yelled, bringing down a hard kick onto the back of Rocco's head. Rocco fell flat onto the ground, trying to stop the dizzy feeling in his head and hoping the water falling on him would stop the burning from Natsu's attacks.

"You think we're done?" Gajeel chuckled darkly, appearing over Rocco and picking the man up, "You're dead wrong. You should have taken Margo's protection when you had the chance," he said, lifting a fist up, "Iron Dragon's Club," he said instead of shouting like Natsu had been doing. He made the club as long as a baseball bat before he detached the piece of metal from his body. He quickly grabbed the metal with his iron covered hand. He threw Rocco's body into the air and then swung the piece of metal as hard as he could into Rocco's stomach. The man went flying, busting through a few trees in the process. Rocco somehow found the strength to stand up after the attack, but he didn't have long to gain his strength back when he heard Gajeel shouting his next attack, "Iron Dragon's Lance: Demon Logs!"

Before Rocco could move out of the way, he was bombarded with several large, iron spears. Most of them landed in the trees around Rocco, creating a shower of wood splinters; but three managed to land hits on the water dragon. One sliced across his right cheek as it flew past him. Another sliced deeper into his left arm, but it didn't stick. The last spear landed deep in his right thigh. Blood seeped out of each wound, staining his clothes.

Natsu and Gajeel started to charge at him together, but Rocco finally managed to summon a spell, "Water Dragon's Protective Wave!" he shouted. A huge wave of water spanned out from Rocco's body, slamming into Natsu and Gajeel. The attack caused the two men to go flying backwards into the trees opposite of Rocco. The water dragon yanked the iron spear in his leg out, hissing when it tore back through the flesh. He moved back into the open area, ignoring the two men standing back up. His eyes fell onto Margo, "So you still have two men protecting you. First your brothers and now these two. Are you never able to fight your own battles?"

"I've never asked anyone to protect me. They do it because we're family, but you could never understand, could you?" she asked with a smirk.

"I'll wipe that smirk right off your face!" he shouted, "How dare you mock me!"

"Can't handle the heat, Rocco?" she questioned, "If you're so powerful, shouldn't it be easy to take on a couple of Dragon Slayers?"

"I can handle it! I'll show you!"

"Oh you can, can you? Well then, why don't I add to the fire?" she asked while snapping her fingers. Zepplin grew into his larger size right next to her, his skin bursting into flames as he donned the 'Hell's Fire Skin'. The flames licked his skin and flew into the sky. Just like Natsu, the rain pouring down wasn't enough to snuff the flames out, "I see that your partner can do a few tricks," Margo said, referring to Penelope's transformation magic, "Zepplin can do tricks too and I assure you that his are much more dangerous."

"How…how is that even possible?" Rocco asked, staring in shock at the large hound.

"He's a hellhound and you've pissed him off," Margo answered, "I'd really hate to be in your shoes right now."

"So you're going to have the mutt fight your battles too?"

Zepplin growled at the 'mutt' comment, wanting nothing more than to tear into the man. Margo kept him at bay for the moment though, "I never said that," she stated, "Zepplin is my partner and we fight together. If you fight one of us then you fight both of us. I figured you would understand that much since you have a cat partner like Natsu."

"It won't matter how many partners you have," he retorted, "I'll still take you down."

"Then prove it," Margo said, "Sound Dragon's Sonic Boom!" she shouted, sending out a wave of sound towards Rocco. He put a shield up of water, knowing he wasn't going to be able to move out of the way quick enough. The shield was able to block the sound attack, but the force of the hit slid him back a few feet.

"Water Dragon's Solid Water Orbs!" Rocco shouted, sending out a barrage of large orbs towards Margo and Zepplin. Both of them were hit with an orb, the balls of water being solid like steel. Margo rolled her left shoulder where she had been hit and Zepplin shook his head after the orb hit it. Zepplin roared in anger, sending out multiple fireballs at the water orbs. The two attacks met and turned into steam instantly.

"Sounds Dragon's Sonic Bullets!" Margo yelled, aiming her gun shaped hand at Rocco. Pulses of sound began flying from her fingers, the attacks soaring over to Rocco. The water dragon managed to dodge the attacks, running backwards to get out of Margo's range. Margo stomped down on the ground to get a better feel of where Rocco was. Though, when she stomped down she was only met with soft mud. She got some vibrations out of it, but most of it came back hazy for her. Margo had to get close to land a hit on him, but how? An idea popped into her head, "Gajeel!" she shouted, "Your iron club! Can it reach him?!"

"What a stupid question," he replied, "Of course it can."

"Then guide me!"

Gajeel did as she asked and turned one of his arms into a long, iron club. He moved it towards her and when Margo felt that it was close enough, she jumped from ground and landed solidly on the club. She slipped a little from the mud on her shoes and the rain pouring down, but she quickly found her balance. She began running down the club, trusting Gajeel to guide her.

"He's right in front of you!" Natsu shouted.

"Sound Dragon's Punch!" Margo shouted and she leapt from Gajeel's club. She came down on Rocco in a blur and punched him hard across the jaw. He was sent flying to the left side, his body skidding across the mud before he stopped right in front of Zepplin. Rocco felt the heat coming off the hound's body first before he made eye contact with the beast. Zepplin barked at him and brought down a burning paw. Rocco rolled to the side just in time to narrowly escape the paw. Though, he wasn't quick enough to dodge a second swipe from Zepplin, the hound scratching Rocco down the same arm that already had a wound on it from Gajeel's earlier attack.

"You should just give up now, Rocco," Margo called out to him, "It's four against one. How do you plan to win against that?"

Rocco glared at her as his anger rose, "Water Dragon's Secret Art," he began lowly.

"No! Rocco! Not that attack!" Penelope shouted, knowing what the man was about to do. It was too late though. There was no stopping the water dragon since the spell was already being casted.

"Storm of the Century!" he shouted.

Lightning bolts began striking the ground and thunder continuously boomed across the sky. The wind picked up and began tearing up parts of the forest. A large pool of water began appearing above Rocco. Once it formed a gigantic orb, he released the water at all four opponents. They were all slammed by the water and it began swirling around them. Zepplin's flames were washed out and he tried to swim to the surface of the water in order to breathe. The others were doing the same, Margo having the most trouble out of all of them. Her mind began flashing back to the flood from when she was a kid. This time, though, she didn't have anyone near her to pull her to the surface.

Rocco kept the water around his opponents long enough to almost drown them. He pulled the water away from Gajeel, Natsu and Zepplin to watch them fall to the ground in large heaps. They were still conscious and watching Rocco, but the near drowning experience left them weak. Rocco then swirled all the water around Margo, not letting the woman out of the orb. She floated in the middle of it, unmoving. Margo was afraid that moving around would only create more problems for herself. It would waste energy she didn't have. She needed to focus on holding her breath and how to get out of the water.

"Margo," Natsu choked out, still coughing up some water.

"Oi! Siren! Get up!" Gajeel shouted with the energy he had left.

Margo continued to float in the water, hating the feeling of the liquid around her. It only brought back nightmares that she wished she didn't have. It was because of Rocco that those memories existed. It was because of him that her family was separated. Because of him, she was blind. And because of him, her friends were hurting now. And here she was just floating in a bubble of water, unable to do anything. She really was useless against him.

Her eyes went wide and her mouth opened when she couldn't hold her breath anymore. Little bubbles floated up in the water around her and she felt herself begin to panic.

"Seems you underestimated me," Rocco said, looking at Margo in the water, "Philomela must have trained you poorly if you can't even swim out of that bubble. Maybe I'll keep you alive long enough for you to watch your friends die," he smirked.

"Stop this Rocco!" Penelope shouted, landing on his head and pulling at his hair, "This isn't who you are! You aren't someone who kills people!"

"Penelope!" he yelled, trying to pull the cat off of him, "I told you it's too late to change things now!"

"But you can always change!" Penelope cried, "You can become a better person! You can start by letting Miss Margo go! Don't do this Rocco!"

"I…I can't," he said, his hold on his anger cracking, "I have to prove myself to Margo and to Philomela."

"How are you going to prove yourself to a dragon that's not even here?" Penelope asked, "And if she was here, do you think this would be the way to impress her? By killing these people? You have a good heart Rocco, so why are you trying to hide it?"

"I…I…" the man stuttered, not knowing how to answer his partner.

As Penelope continued to plead with Rocco, Natsu and Gajeel began to call out to Margo.

"Margo! Swim out of the orb!" Natsu shouted, "You can't give up here! Not like this!"

"Get up, Siren!" Gajeel yelled, "You still have those lessons to teach me! You're not getting out of them so easily!"

"And we still have to fight each other!" Natsu added, "Don't tell me you're afraid to take me on?!"

Margo heard their calls, but her mind was still panicking over the fact that she couldn't breathe. It didn't seem to matter what the men told her, she just couldn't find the strength to get out of the water.

"Margo!" Natsu shouted louder than she had ever heard him shout before, "We have to go home together! We have all of Fairy Tail waiting for us to return! Are you willing to let them down?!"

"Your brothers are waiting for you!" Gajeel called out, "Are you going to leave them behind again?! And are you going to leave me and Natsu behind after all the shit we've been through for you?! Well?! Are you going to give up on us?! Answer me, Margo!"

Voices began to flood through Margo's mind when she heard Natsu's and Gajeel's words.

'_Mar-chan!'_

'_Yo, Margo.'_

'_We're all friends.'_

'_You can come to me for anything, Margo.'_

'_We love you, Margo.'_

'_We'll be waiting for you to come home, Margo.'_

'_You're a Dragon Slayer like me!'_

'_Oi! Siren!'_

'_Let's fight, Margo!'_

'_You really are a troublesome woman.'_

'_Take our hands, Margo.'_

'_MARGO!'_

Margo let the voices of her friends and family fuel her with the strength she had lost. She reached a hand upwards and pulled it down, letting her muscles move herself towards the surface. She moved another arm forwards and then another while kicking her legs, wanting to reach the voices that were calling out to her. She had to reach them. She had to fight for them. She had to make it back home for them. Finally, her arm busted through the water's surface. She pulled her head to the surface, taking in a deep breath of air. Margo pushed herself completely out of the water orb and landed hard on the ground. She took in a few more deep breaths before she forced herself to stand up. Her hair hung down in her face and water ran all down her body. She pushed her hair out of her face, bearing her fangs at Rocco.

"You won't win, Rocco," she huffed out, stopping the arguing between him and Penelope.

"I can just push you back into the orb," he retorted, "Looks like you wasted a lot of energy swimming out of it."

"Then I guess I'll just have to eat something to refuel myself, won't I?" she asked, swinging an arm out sideways. Her hand landed in the water orb next to her, pulling out a smaller orb of water in the process. She lifted the water to her lips, drinking it down quickly.

"What are you doing?" Rocco asked, "You can't eat my magic!"

"I just did," Margo smirked, feeling power wash through her, "And I'll do it again," she said, pulling out another orb and drinking it. Rocco ran towards her to stop her from eating any more of his magic. A burst of power knocked him backwards though, "Sound Water Dragon Mode!" Margo shouted as sound magic vibrated off of her and swirls of water danced all around her. Her hair swirled upwards from the sheer volume of magic surrounding her, "You never answered my question, Rocco," she smirked, her voice smooth like water running over river stones, "What are you running from? What is the fear that finds you in the darkness?"

"How…how can you even control the water? You're supposed to be afraid of it!" Rocco shouted, fear evident in his eyes and voice.

"And I've embraced that fear and I have grown stronger from it," Margo answered, taking slow steps towards Rocco, "Will you be able to do the same? Are you scared of me, Rocco? Are you willing to let me prove myself to you as you so desperately want to do for me?"

"Stay away from me! You're a monster!"

"But you made this monster, Rocco," she said, still walking towards him, "Because of every action you took, it lead to this exact moment. Because you decided to attack my family, this is the consequence that you have to pay. So tell me Rocco, do I scare you?" she asked again, stopping right in front of the man.

"N…no!"

"I told you not to lie to me."

"I'm going to take you down!"

"Maybe you could have at one point," Margo said, "But I have something to fight for now. I have something I want to protect. What do you fight for, Rocco? Is that why you fear me? Because I have something worth fighting for and that makes me stronger than you?"

"Shut up!" Rocco shouted, sending out a wave of water at Margo.

The wave simply washed over her, Margo keeping her solid stance on the ground. Margo narrowed her eyes at him before punching him with a fist that swirled with both sound and water magic. His body flew backwards, slamming into a tree. He choked out, the hit being harder than the ones he had received from Natsu and Gajeel. Before he could get up, Margo was over him and brought down a kick to his back. This flattened the man to the ground, pain shooting through his entire body. Margo lifted his body from the ground and threw him high into the air. She took in a deep breath before shouting, "Sound Water Dragon's Roar!" Sound and water magic flowed together in a giant spiral that was aimed right at Rocco. The attack hit Rocco in the chest, the sound magic echoing through his whole body while the water magic made it hard for him to breathe as it surrounded him. The attack lasted a moment longer before Margo cut it off and Rocco's body slammed down onto the ground. Margo ran towards him, bringing her sound and water filled fist down on him. She stopped the punch right in front of his face when she heard the man whimpering.

Rocco opened his eyes to see the powerful fist hanging in front of his face, "What are you waiting for?" he asked, "Just finish me off. I failed."

"Yes, you did," Margo said evenly, "But you finally showed your fear to me."

"What?"

"You're scared just like the rest of us in this world," Margo explained, "But you can't grow stronger until you learn to recognize that fear. But you aren't scared of me. You're scared of being alone. You were scared of dying alone."

Rocco's eyes went wide at her words, surprised that she had been able to pick up on how he felt so easily, "But…how did you know?"

"Because I'm scared of losing the people close to me and being alone," Margo answered.

Tears started to pour from Rocco's eyes as the storm clouds started to finally fade away, "I never really wanted to hurt you, Margo, or your brothers. I was angry and scared because I was alone. You had so many people around you that loved you. You had Philomela and your brothers, and when I met you at the resort, you had Natsu and Gajeel and Zepplin. I thought that I would never have anyone."

Margo let her magic go and the sound and water that swirled around her disappeared, "But you do have someone," she said, "You have Penelope and you have the memories that you built with you dragon. Don't let those people and memories fade into the dark due to your fear."

"I'm sorry, Margo," Rocco cried, throwing a hand over his eyes.

"I know," she said softly, pulling him up with his free hand. She hugged him tightly, surprising all parties in the open area, "But you aren't alone anymore and I forgive you, Rocco."

Rocco cried harder into Margo's shoulder, hugging her back while Penelope landed on his shoulder. The rest of Margo's team joined the scene, Zepplin taking a seat next to Margo. Natsu smiled widely at the scene while Gajeel crossed his arms over his chest as he stared down at the hugging duo. It hadn't been the ending that they all had expected, but it had definitely been an ending worth fighting for.

* * *

**A/N: **There you go! Hope you all enjoyed it!

I really hope you guys liked the fact that Rocco isn't a bad guy. I just love him too much to make him evil! ^.^ And the next chapter should be fun for me since it'll be the wrap up chapter for this arc and I have a moment planned for Gajeel and Margo (for those of you who have become fans of them as a couple). So it should be fun and interesting. I'll have it up soon!

Remember to review please!

Yours Truly,

MyDearWatson


	20. Closer

**A/N: **Finally got this chapter up!

So this took me some time to get up since my muse decided to take a weekend vacation without telling me. I literally stared at the computer screen multiple times over the past few days and nothing happened! UGH! But my muse, lovingly known as Moose, finally decided to show up today! (Even if it is six in the morning!)

Anyways, I actually surprised myself with this chapter. It took a slight turn that I didn't think it would, but I was glad for it. I absolutely loved the way it turned out and I hope you all enjoy it too!

I would like to thank Link, Raiyane, fanficFreakShingeki and Emmatin for their awesome reviews!

Link - LOL! Glad to hear that you liked the chapter and the fight scenes. And yeah, Margo overcame her fear of water (kind of :/) but I'm still planning on having her hating thunderstorms. I've got some cute scenes planned out with her and Pantherlily when he makes his appearance! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Raiyane - Don't worry about reviewing on time. I figured you were probably busy. But I was happy to see both of your reviews! I'm glad that you enjoyed the full flashback chapter for Margo. And yeah, I didn't want her to dwell on things too much. It becomes a little depressing to write when characters do that. So I made sure to make her the type of person that just deals with it and moves on. I'm also glad to hear that you like the previous chapter and its fight scenes as well! I did plan on having Margo keep her water powers like Natsu does when he gets the lightning from Laxus. I figured when she tried to show her brothers that would be when she gets worn out from using the two powers at once since she's not used to it yet. I hope you like the moment that happens in this chapter between Margo and Gajeel and the chapter as a whole!

fanficFreakShingeki - Glad to hear that you liked the chapter and the fighting scene! I'm glad that it turned out so well! And I'm also happy to hear that you liked the background for Rocco! Hope you enjoy this chapter as well!

Emmatin - LOL! This story isn't over by a long shot. There's still a lot I want to do and still a bit I have to explain, like the whole Kaiden situation. The arc is ending, but the story is going to continue for a little while. I have it planned out through the Grand Magic Games at least. It's kind of turning into my epic story for Fairy Tail, so I hope you don't mind that, lol. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

I don't own Fairy Tail!

Please enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 20: Closer**

A few days had passed since the fight between Fairy Tail and Rocco. With Rocco stopping his attack on the resort, all the water came back to every hot spring and the daily thunderstorms had stopped. Margo had decided that it was best not to tell the mayor who it was that had caused all the problems. She knew Rocco had been through enough as it was. She didn't want to add going to prison onto his list. Rocco had told her that he would own up to everything he had done, but she refused to let him do it. She told him that being beaten up by three Dragon Slayers and a hellhound was punishment enough. Natsu and Gajeel seemed to think so too.

They ended up telling the mayor that there had been a mudslide due to all the thunderstorms. This caused a leak underneath the hot springs and that's why the water disappeared and never stayed after it rained. It also helped to explain their appearances after the fight when they made their way back into town. When he questioned why Rocco was with them, Margo simply stated that he had a big enough heart to come and help them. The mayor wasn't too concerned with Rocco when Jean came busting into his office to tell him that the water for the hot springs had returned.

Michal had requested them all to continue to stay at the resort and rest before they all left for their journeys home. It was the least he could do for them for helping his town and the resort. They had agreed to stay so long as Natsu didn't destroy anything. It would be nice to truly relax and enjoy themselves.

It was currently their last night at the resort and they would be meeting up with Rocco for dinner soon. To Margo, the man was such a sweetheart. She had really enjoyed the past couple of days with him and getting to know him better. She knew that they would be friends for a long time. She had even tried to convince him to come to Fairy Tail, but he seemed hesitant. Margo never lingered on the subject long when she heard the sadness in his voice, but she still had to wonder why he seemed bothered by the question of joining the guild.

Margo shrugged at her thoughts and headed towards the door of their room when she heard a knock. She expected it to be Rocco, but Jean's voice surprised her.

"Good evening, Margo," she said with a warm smile.

"Evening, Jean," Margo answered, catching the attention of Natsu and Gajeel, "What can I do for you?"

"Well," Jean began, losing the smile on her face and her voice going quiet. Margo scrunched her eyebrows together, not liking the change in the woman's demeanor, "I was asked to give you this letter," she said, handing an envelope over to Margo.

"Who's it from?" Margo asked.

"Mr. Lafayette."

"Rocco?"

"Yes," Jean said, "He left just a little while ago. He said he needed to head home and take care of some things. He wanted to send his apologies for leaving so suddenly, but he said he needed to leave right then," she explained, "He looked very sad. He's usually so upbeat and happy, but he looked a little depressed when he left. He gave me this letter before he headed out and told me specifically that it needed to be handed to you."

Margo gripped the letter tightly in her hand, "Thank you, Jean," she struggled to say.

Jean noticed her struggle and said her goodbyes quickly. The woman was sure that the two men in the room would be able to comfort Margo much better than she could.

"Margo," Natsu called out gently when she hadn't moved or closed the door after Jean had left.

Margo continued to stand in the doorway without moving. She couldn't believe that Rocco had actually left. Why wouldn't he even come say goodbye to her? She would have understood if he needed to leave. It would have been all right with her. So why leave so suddenly and unannounced?

Gajeel approached Margo, moving to close the door first. He turned to face her, seeing the shock and hurt on her face. He sighed and tried to pull the letter from her hands, but she only gripped it tighter, "Siren, let it go. You can't even read anyways."

At the sound of his voice, Margo let the letter go. She then let Gajeel lead her into the living room, his heavy hand on the small of her back being the only thing keeping her standing. She sat down when she felt the couch next to her. Natsu sat in a chair while Gajeel plopped himself on the other end of the couch and sticking his feet up on the coffee table. Zepplin hopped up on the couch next to Margo and curled himself up against her while Happy landed on top of Natsu's head. Gajeel turned one finger into a sharp piece of iron and easily sliced the letter open.

"Dear Margo," Gajeel began, "I know that you're upset right now and I'm sorry for being the one to cause you pain again. But…" Gajeel trailed off, not really wanting to say the next part. Though, one look at Margo made him start reading again, "Honey," he grumbled the word, "Please understand that I needed to leave. I have many things that I need to figure out for myself. I need to figure out who I really am and what I want to do with my life now that I have it back. I have you to thank for it. Sweetheart," Gajeel grumbled again, "You gave me the light back in my life that I had given up on. I want to become a better person. I want to become someone who has people to protect and love. I want to become someone like you. I left so suddenly because I still feel guilty about all the things I did to you and I could never look you straight in the eye after our fight. And even though you said you forgave me, I know there is a part of you that is still angry with me. I don't blame you for it either. You will have to give me some time before we can meet again. I want to be able to look you in the eyes without guilt hanging in my heart and I want you to be able to fully smile at me again. Only time will be able to accomplish these things. So until then, Margo, please wait for me. I'll become someone you can trust and rely on like you do Gajeel and Natsu. I'll become someone you can love and I'll become someone who will protect you instead of hurt you. I promise, sweetheart. With all my love, Rocco," Gajeel said before his eyes came to the bottom of the page, "P.S. Don't waste so much time with Gajeel and if the iron dragon is reading this to you, then what are you waiting for? Snatch her up before someone else does, you buffoon! You two are good for each other!" Gajeel read with a heavy blush, "Buffoon! What the hell?!"

Natsu roared in laughter, "He got you good and he's not even here!"

"I wouldn't be laughing if I were you," Gajeel grunted, reading that last little part of the letter, "P.P.S. To my Natsu-chan! I'll be waiting for you too! Stay cute and adorable for me!"

"What the hell?!" Natsu shouted.

"Gi Hee," Gajeel laughed at him before he turned to look at Margo. His smile faded when he saw her somber face. He hated that look on her face. She always looked better with a smile or at least a smirk on her face. He folded the letter up and slid it back into its envelope. He then handed it back to Margo, watching her hands tighten around the paper, "You should keep that," was all he said as he stood and left the room, disappearing into his own room.

"Margo? Are you all right?" Natsu asked, a frown on his face.

"Yeah. I'm fine," she answered, her voice cracking from trying to swallow the lump in her throat.

"Are you sure?" he pushed, standing and walking over to her.

"I'm sure, Natsu," she replied softly.

"You did a good thing for him, Margo," Natsu stated, gently placing a hand on top of her head, "Because of that, you'll meet him again one day and you'll be able to smile at him just like he said in his letter. Don't be sad for his disappearance. Be happy at knowing that he'll become a better person because of you."

"Thank you," she whispered.

He smiled at her, "I'll be back in a bit. I'm gonna find us all something to eat and bring it back here, all right?"

"All right."

Natsu lifted his hand from her head and left with Happy trailing behind him. When Margo heard the door click shut, she released the tears she had been holding back. She heard and felt a few of them plop onto the envelope in her hand. Even if Rocco had a good reason for leaving, it still hurt that he was gone. Even if he had been the one to cause her pain and that she was still angry at him for it, Margo never wanted him to leave. Rocco showed that he could change and she wanted to be there to support him. She could forgive him because she knew the fear of being alone and fourteen years had passed since everything had happened. She had become accustomed to being blind and she had found her brothers. Now, she had to silently support him and hope that he found the happiness he searched for.

"Margo," Gajeel said in his usual gruff voice, standing in front of her.

Margo was slightly surprised by his sudden appearance. She hadn't even noticed that he had moved back into the room since she was so wrapped up in her thoughts, "It's not fair, ya know," she said, laughing a little through her tears, "He writes me a letter that I can't even read whenever I want to. These are his last words to me for God knows how long and I can't even fucking read them. And I thought Natsu was an idiot. I should just throw it away."

"Don't throw it away," Gajeel said solidly, pulling the envelope out of her hands before she did anything to it that she would regret, "I'll read it to you whenever you want."

"No you won't," she retorted, "Not with all those 'honeys' and 'sweethearts' in it."

"If I say I'm gonna do something, then I'm gonna do it," he huffed at her, "Besides, I can just skip over those words."

"But then it won't sound like Rocco."

"Look woman," he snapped, "Do you want me to read it to you or not."

"Yes," she answered quietly.

"Then shut up and stop arguing with me," he said before pushing a bag into her hands.

"What is this?" she asked, wiping her tears away.

"The barmaid gave it to me before we left for the mission," Gajeel explained, "It's a bathing suit. She said you might need it since she knows you don't have one. Go change into it."

"What?" Margo asked, "I'm not getting into this and I'm not getting into the water."

"Didn't I just tell you to stop arguing with me?" he retorted, "Just go change and stop worrying about things."

"But I-"

"Just do it!" he growled.

"Fine. Whatever," she growled back, "But I refuse to get into the water," she added as she disappeared into her room.

Gajeel rolled his eyes at her response while he sat the letter down on the marble countertop of the kitchen bar. He leaned against the countertop and stared down at the simple paper. Gajeel began to think about what Rocco had said at the end of the letter about him and Margo. How could they be wasting time if they weren't even dating? Sure, he enjoyed Margo's company, even if he wouldn't admit it out loud; but that didn't mean he wanted to date her, did it? She did keep him on his toes and she had a snarky attitude that brought out his own sarcastic side. He loved to push her buttons to see how she would react to things, even if it meant pissing her off. She looked rather pretty angry. And she had a voice that made the metal around his heart melt.

Gajeel blushed at his thoughts, 'What a stupid thing to put in the letter,' he thought, glaring down at the envelope, 'Now it has me all confused. It's not like I care if she dates another man,' he thought with a huff. Though, the picture of Margo leaving with Kaiden on their date popped into his head and a wave of anger washed over him, "Dammit," he cursed out loud, finally turning away from the letter. When he turned, Gajeel saw Margo standing in her doorway with her bathing suit on and her hair up in a high pony tail and he couldn't help the deep blush that spread across his cheeks. The barmaid definitely knew how to pick swimwear out. Margo wore a pair of tight boy shorts styled bottoms that accentuated her hips and butt. She had a simple black, bikini top with little blue stars on it. It was a simple outfit, but it was enough to have Gajeel looking the woman up and down; especially when it showed off her toned stomach and legs.

"So did Mira pick out something good at least?" she asked with her hands on her hips.

"Uh…" Gajeel gracefully answered, his mind still on the woman in front of him. Eventually, he figured out how to form a sentence, even if he stuttered a little through it, "Yeah…it…uh…it looks fine."

"Why are you so nervous?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow at him.

"I ain't nervous," he bit back.

"Sure you aren't," she smirked at him, but decided to drop the subject for now, "So what do you have planned by making me wear this?"

"We're going outside," he answered, "To the hot spring."

"I told you I'm not getting in the water."

"I thought you got over your fear?"

"Still doesn't mean I like the water."

"Whatever. You're going."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"Wanna bet?"

"Haven't we already been through this?"

"Yeah, and who ended up in the water last time?"

"I ain't gonna throw you in this time, stupid."

"Don't call me stupid, stupid!"

"I think you need to work on your comebacks," he stated, before moving to push her towards the door, "Now, let's go."

"No!"

"Tch," he replied with as he grabbed her wrists in one hand and pulled her out the sliding glass door. Zepplin followed closely, wanting to see how the scene played out. They came to the edge of the hot spring, stopping in front of the stairs that led down into it. Gajeel stepped down onto the first stair, trying to drag Margo in with him, "Dammit woman," he grumbled when she wouldn't budge, "You're getting in the water."

"Why are you pushing this so much?"

"Because you need to learn that it's not gonna hurt you," he answered, "And the hot spring will help you relax after everything that's happened this past week."

Margo stood silently, contemplating Gajeel's words. She suddenly felt Zepplin nudging the back of her legs, encouraging her to go into the water. Even if she had faced her fear a few days ago, it wasn't like that fear would suddenly disappear. She had spent the past fourteen years fearing the water. Three days wouldn't suddenly change that. She continued to hesitate which caused Gajeel to grumble and take matters into his own hands. He stepped back out of the water and lifted Margo up into his arms bridal style.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her arms instinctively going around his neck. She also blushed from feeling his bare chest against her side. She could feel the chiseled muscles move as he began walking back into the water.

"Helping you," he answered, keeping a tight hold on her to make sure she couldn't get away this time. He took the first two steps quickly since the water wouldn't touch Margo yet. He took the next step with caution since he knew that the water would begin to reach her. She flinched a little at the feel of the hot water, her arms tightening around Gajeel. He slowly took the last few steps into the water and he walked out into the middle of the spring. The water reached a little above his waist, causing most of Margo's bottom half to sit in it. She squeezed her eyes tightly, remembering all the bad things that came with the liquid. Gajeel let her legs down easily and moved his hands down around her waist. Margo felt her legs drift in the water for a moment before they touched the bottom of the spring and she was able to stand. She kept her hands wrapped tightly around Gajeel's neck and she hid her face into his chest. He could feel her trembling slightly, causing his grip on her hips to tighten a little, "It's all right Margo," he said quietly, "I've got you."

Margo's eyes widened at his words, surprised by the gentleness that was hidden in them. She popped her head up and it was then she fully realized their closeness. The heat around them made her mind hazy and she knew the blush on her checks wasn't just from the stream around them. In that moment, Margo wished she could see what Gajeel looked like. She wanted to be able to see his eyes and see what sort of emotions were running through them. Without him speaking, it was hard for her to know what he was thinking right then. Was he enjoying the moment as much as she was or did he feel burdened by her?

"You don't have to do this, ya know," she said softly, hoping to get an answer to her question.

Gajeel stayed quiet for a moment, simply watching the woman in front of him. He never would have guessed that he would be here standing with her, holding onto her in hopes that she would feel more secure. He was Black Steel Gajeel for Christ's sake! He wasn't soft or gentle and he didn't openly show his emotions. He kept his heart guarded with his iron, keeping anyone who dared to get close out. But this woman was different. She had somehow found a way to crack the iron around his heart and had begun to push her way into that crack. How was he supposed to fight against something he couldn't see?

"Gajeel?" she questioned when he continued to stay silent.

"You should be free from your fear," he stated, a hidden softness in his voice. A softness that he knew Margo would be the only one to ever hear, "I want you to think of the water with better memories."

Margo smiled softly at him and he swore that he felt another part of his iron clad heart crack. Instead of thanking him with words, Margo moved one of her hands from his neck and ran her fingers up along his jaw. She pulled him forward just enough for her to plant a gentle kiss at the corner of his mouth.

Gajeel's eyes went wide at the kiss, not expecting her to pull such a move. Though, he had to admit that he liked the way her soft lips felt against his skin. Her forest and flower like smell washed over him, relaxing him more than the hot water around him. Rocco's words from the letter suddenly popped into his mind – _What are you waiting for? Snatch her up before someone else does._ As soon as the words rang out in his head, he felt the need to claim her as his; even if it was only for that one moment.

Just as Margo began to pull away, Gajeel turned his head and captured her lips with his own. He heard her gasp in surprise, but she didn't pull away. He had kissed other women before, but none of their lustful passion and hungry need measured up to what he was feeling right then. It was gentle and sweet with enough added pressure from both parties to make the other feel the need for more. He gently nipped at her bottom lip, receiving just a taste of her; and she tasted just as sweet as the candy she ate. Gajeel knew that this one kiss wouldn't be enough now that he knew what it felt like, but he somehow found the power to pull away from her. He found pride in the deep blush that crossed her cheeks, knowing he had been the one to cause it.

She laid her head on his shoulder, neither one of them saying anything. There was nothing to be said in that moment. They simply enjoyed one another's embrace. Margo had finally found a reason to like the water and oddly enough, it was all thanks to the hot tempered iron dragon. She wasn't sure what the kiss meant for the two of them, but she knew it meant something. Even if they wouldn't act on it right now, Margo knew that kiss meant more to her than she cared to admit. Fate had brought them together and at the moment, she wasn't willing to fight against that fate. She was actually happy that the iron dragon had been stubborn and made her go into the water; and so she smiled widely and let the man hold her with protective hands.

**. : + : .**

Natsu stood at the sliding glass door, watching the scene with a wide smile. He had originally planned to take a picture of the two, but something had stopped him from doing so. Just as he was about to click the camera, he lowered it in his hands. He already had a picture of the pair to show to the guild, so there was no point in a second one. He knew that this was a close moment between the two and he had enough sense to not ruin it. He was happy that he had been smart enough to put the camera down when he saw them kiss. He really would have felt bad if he had ruined that.

"They liiiiiike each other," Happy laughed, sitting on top of Natsu's head.

"They sure do," Natsu said, "And I can't even tease them about this. Margo would kill me if she knew I saw them."

"What about Gajeel? Aren't you scared of what he would do?"

"Whatever he would come up wouldn't be half as scary as Margo," Natsu answered, shivering at the thought, "The metal brain would only punch me a couple times. Margo would beat the snot out of me."

"Aye, I guess you're right," Happy said.

"I still don't understand what she sees in that guy, though," the fire dragon said, scratching his head, "He's hard headed and hot tempered. He has a bad attitude half the time and he hits anyone that pisses him off. Wouldn't that normally send a girl running in the other direction?"

"Well, I don't think Margo is a normal girl."

"You've got that right," Natsu laughed, "But still. The guy did attack us when he was with Phantom Lord."

"Natsu," Happy said, looking down at his partner, "Margo gave Rocco a second chance. Couldn't you give Gajeel a second chance too? He really does seem to be changing for the better. Master brought him to the guild for a reason."

"Since when are you on the iron idiot's side?" Natsu asked while quirking an eyebrow.

"I'm just saying, Natsu," Happy retorted, "He has helped us against Laxus and then on this mission."

"You really think I should give him a chance?"

"Aye!"

"Fine," Natsu sighed, causing the cat to smile widely, "Who knew that a cat could give decent advice," he smirked.

"Hey!"

"Let's eat!" Natsu shouted, ignoring Happy's retort. Deep down, Natsu felt happy for the two Dragon Slayers outside. It would definitely be interesting to see how things played out from here.

**. : + : .**

The small team was currently making their way back to Fairy Tail, having said their goodbyes to Michal and Jean just a few hours ago. They promised the two that they would come back to Marigold and stay at the resort again. Michal had been nice enough to give them all a free week's stay at the resort in the same private room and hot spring again for solving the mystery of what was happening. All three gladly took the week's stay, knowing they would eventually need it in the future.

The two men were already arguing like normal, causing Margo to sigh in annoyance.

"You better give me that damn picture, flame head!" Gajeel growled.

"Hell no!" Natsu replied, "I get to show it to the rest of the guild! I'm sure they'll want to see your soft side too! They won't believe me otherwise!"

"Natsu! You can't show that picture to the guild!" Margo shouted, suddenly realizing what would happen if he did, "If my brothers see that picture, they're gonna flip!"

"What was it you said a few days ago?" Natsu smirked, "Karma has a funny way of catching up with you? This is payback for having Rocco hang all over me!"

"That's not how it works, you idiot!" Margo snapped, "That was your karma for taking the picture in the first place!"

"Too bad for you," Natsu laughed, "I'm still showing everyone that picture!"

Margo ran towards him, trying to catch him and force him to give her the picture. Unfortunately, he was faster than her and ran ahead of the group with Happy in tow, laughing while doing so.

"Damn bastard," Margo grumbled, crossing her arms.

"Don't worry," Gajeel smirked, "We'll eventually get him back for it."

"We'll have to think of a way to catch him with Lucy. They're partners, right?"

"Yeah, apparently they've been a team ever since he brought the bunny girl back to the guild with him."

"Then it should be pretty easy to catch them and snap a picture of them."

"I hear the weirdo sleeps in her bed all the time."

"Really?" Margo snorted in laughter, "He's making revenge too easy then."

"Gi Hee," Gajeel laughed with her.

Margo was quiet for a moment before a question popped into her head, "Gajeel, do you have a team?"

"What? No," he answered, "Tch, it's not like anyone would work with me anyways. Besides, I work better on my own."

"Then why don't you create a team with me and Zepplin?" she asked with a smile.

"Didn't you hear what I just said, woman?" he huffed, "I work better on my own."

"But I think you fight better when you're on a team," she said, his grumpy attitude not fazing her, "I've fought you on my own and I've fought with you as a team. I have to say that you're a lot stronger when you're on a team."

"You worried I'll get hurt or something?" he asked, "Because you shouldn't. I can handle fights on my own."

"That's not it," she answered, "I just think it would be a good idea to create a team. Plus, this way you don't have to be alone anymore."

"What?" he asked, shock evident in his voice.

"Well, you did say that you know what it's like to be alone," she explained, "We could create and team that way neither of us have to be alone anymore. But I still have Zepplin if you don't want to do it," she shrugged, playing it off in a way she knew would get to him.

"Are you adding your brothers to the team?" he asked, not liking the thought of having to go on missions with the two men.

"No way," she laughed, "I love my brothers, but they drive me nuts! They were lucky to come back alive after the mission on Makai Island. I may take a mission with them here and there, but I'm pretty sure it'll be kept to a minimum number of missions. I get enough of them at the guild and I wouldn't put you through that hell," she grinned, "It would be just me, you and Zepplin. So what do you say?"

Gajeel stayed silent for a moment before a grin of his own spread across his face. He threw an arm around her shoulders, "I'll do it only because you begged me to create a team with you."

"What?!" she shouted, "I didn't beg you!"

"Well that's how I'm telling it, Gi Hee," he laughed, "Can't have the guild thinking I'm going soft."

She elbowed him in the stomach, causing him to lurch forward, "Maybe I will let Natsu show that picture to the guild after all. My brothers will attack you before they get to me anyways."

"Whatever," he grumbled, "I can take those two weirdoes you call brothers."

"Yeah," she laughed, "You probably could. Just go easy on them."

"Only 'cause you asked me to," he said with a smirk.

Margo smiled back at him, "Then it's set. We'll make the best team at Fairy Tail!"

"Hell yeah, we will. It'll be a lot better than Salamander's team."

"You want to say that to my face, metal brain!" Natsu shouted, suddenly reappearing in Gajeel's face.

"We'll make a better team than yours," Gajeel repeated.

The two started arguing again, Margo falling forwards in defeat. There was just no stopping the two…ever. She smiled widely though. She was happy to have the two Dragon Slayers around. It felt like a real family and she had come to the conclusion that she wouldn't trade their bickering for anything. It meant that they were happy and listening to their bad comebacks was more than worth that happiness.

Now she just had to come up with a way to keep her brothers from killing Gajeel due to the picture that Natsu had. Even if Gajeel could take them on it a fight, it would be harder than the iron dragon thought. They were her older brothers and their protectiveness would trump any attack that someone could throw at them. It would definitely be an interesting moment at the guild and she knew it would end with the old man getting angry and turning into his larger size to reprimand them all for it. And yet again, all the trouble would be worth it to hear the guild laughing as a family. It was something that Margo couldn't wait for, and so, she hummed happily with Zepplin next to her while she listened to the fighting dragons in front of her.

* * *

**A/N: **There you go! Hope you all enjoyed it!

So originally I wasn't planning on having Gajeel and Margo kiss yet, but dang it! It's 20 chapters into this story and thought, screw it! It's about time! BUT! I'm not going to have them instantly start dating now. I had planned for them to have a backwards relationship where they always do things in a mixed up order. So, yes, they do have feelings for each other, but no, they will not be acting on it immediately. I want a few things to happen (and a couple more kisses lol) to happen before they're in a solid relationship. Now, this is not to say that they won't be having anymore moments together or that Gajeel will so easily let other men near her(because come on, we all know he would become the jealous and possessive type). I really just want them to kind of have an out of the ordinary relationship. Things will fall into place for them eventually, so don't worry! I mean, if I decided to have them kiss in this chapter, I may decide to bump up when they actually start to date. You never know! ^.^

And that's enough of that for now...

I'll have the next chapter up soon!

Please remember to review!

Yours Truly,

MyDearWatson


	21. An Apprentice!

**A/N: **CHA! A new update!

So this one took a little longer for me to figure since I had finished that last arc. For a while I just had to sit and think about it. Even Moose was like, 'I got nothing'. But eventually I figured it out and I think it all turned out nicely! I hope you all like it too!

I would like to thank Link, Niwen, Savage Kill and Raiyane for their reviews! I would also like to thank all the followers for this story as well! I had quite a few people follow/favorite this story this time around and I'm happy to see so many people liking this story! ^.^

Link - LOL! Your review made me smile! ^.^ I was so glad to hear that you liked the last chapter so much. I was hoping it would, especially with that scene between Margo and Gajeel. Their relationship is going to start moving farther soon and I even managed to sprinkle this chapter with a little AeroxMirajane love! ^.^ Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Niwen - Glad to hear that you enjoyed the last chapter and the little MargoxGajeel scene in it! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Savage Kill - Hope this was soon enough for you! Hope you enjoy this chapter as well!

Raiyane - ^.^ Glad to hear that you liked the MargoxGajeel scene! And I'm glad to hear that you like fluff too! This chapter may not have as much in it, but the next chapter should! And I'm glad to hear you like them as a team as well! And I've got a few plans for Gajeel to get all jealous. Hopefully they turn out well! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

I don't own Fairy Tail!

Please enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 21: An Apprentice!**

"And here's the proof that the metal brain is a big softy!" Natsu shouted, slamming his picture down on a table in the guild.

The group had returned to Fairy Tail just barely over an hour ago. After going over the details of the mission with Makarov, he had released them and they had made their way down to the main floor of the guild. Margo had ordered two beers and joined Gajeel at a table, sliding a beer his way. Zepplin laid on the floor next to Margo with a large bowl of water next to him. Mirajane watched them with a happy smile, seeing how animatedly Margo talked with Gajeel and how Gajeel didn't seem to mind the woman's talking. The Take Over mage knew something had happened during their mission and it seemed that a few of the other guild members noticed it too. She laughed to herself, planning future matchmaking schemes in her head.

While Margo and Gajeel kept to themselves, Natsu began telling the other guild members about their mission and how they met another Dragon Slayer. He went through all the details, but seemed to save the picture he had taken for last. As soon as the rosette slammed the picture down, a giant crowd filed around the table to see his evidence.

"No way!" Gray shouted.

"Look how cute!" Lucy grinned.

"Juvia is so proud of Gajeel-kun!"

"Gajeel is a real man!" Elfman yelled.

Two men didn't find the picture quite as comforting as the rest of the guild. As soon as they laid eyes on the picture, they were standing over the iron dragon at the table that he was sharing with Margo.

"What do you two idiots want?" Margo asked, sipping her beer. She was still miffed at her brothers for tackling her to the ground when she had returned to the guild. Elfman and Gray literally had to pull Dante off of her.

"What's that picture all about?" Aero asked, his question aimed at Gajeel rather than his sister.

"It's none of your damn business," Gajeel grunted, gulping down his own beer. He slammed the glass down on the table and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He then stood up from his seat and turned to face the two men. Even if he knew that Margo's brother would act this way, he still didn't appreciate the men hovering over him like he was some criminal that took their sister away. He crossed his arms and sent a hard stare to both men.

"When it comes to Margo, it is our damn business," Aero retorted.

"Big brothers protect their little sisters!" Dante growled.

"I'm sure your sister can take care of herself," Gajeel said, "And it's not like anything bad is happening in that stupid picture."

"You have an arm around our sister!" both men shouted.

"So what?" Gajeel retorted, trying his best to keep his calm.

"So what?!" Aero shouted, "You're practically groping her in her sleep!"

"You're crazy," Gajeel huffed, "Besides, if you didn't notice, I'm sleeping too. How am I supposed to be groping her in my sleep?"

Aero and Dante both stood there, opening and closing their mouths like a fish. Margo laughed at the scene, happy to see that Gajeel could hold his own against her brothers. It was a feat in itself to cause both men to become speechless.

"Don't laugh!" Aero shouted at her, "It's your fault for ending up in this situation!"

"Hey!" Gajeel yelled, pulling Aero away from the table he was leaning against, "Don't yell at her!"

"I'm her older brother. I'll do as I please!" Aero growled, yanking his arm away from the iron dragon, "What are you gonna do about it anyways?"

Aero's body suddenly went flying across the room after being punched in the jaw by Gajeel's iron covered fist, "That's what I'll do," he answered lowly. The fight began to catch the attention of the rest of the guild and a large circle of people surrounded the area.

Margo rolled her eyes from beneath her sunglasses while she continued to drink her beer. She knew that this was going to happen. She knew as soon as her brothers saw that picture they would turn into super, overprotective morons. She had to hand it to Gajeel for having the guts to punch Aero. Though, her oldest brother had the punch coming to him. If he could just learn how to keep his cool, he wouldn't end up in these kinds of situations.

"You think one little punch is gonna stop me?" Aero asked, standing up from the rubble of broken, wooden boxes, "I've got more fight in me than you think. Especially when it comes to getting you to stop messing around with my sister."

"We ain't messing around," Gajeel retorted, "And even if we were, that's none of your damn business."

"So you are messing around with her!" Aero accused.

"You've ruined out innocent sister!" Dante shouted.

Margo spit her beer out at that point, coughing as she choked on the liquid, "What the hell?!" she shouted, finally standing from her spot, "You two really are crazy!"

"Is it true Margo?" Dante asked, "Did he ruin you?"

Margo stared at Dante with a flat stare, "I can't believe you're asking me that."

"Answer the question, Margo," Aero said, walking towards her.

"No," she huffed, "He didn't "ruin" me. Happy?"

Both men sighed in relief, "Good," they both said.

"But no more missions with him," Aero stated, "We don't need any more slip ups from him like he did in that picture."

Margo smirked at her brother, "Too bad for you," she began, "Gajeel and I decided to form a team."

"WHAT?!" the entire guild shouted at her announcement.

"Margo! You can't be serious!" Aero shouted.

"Oh, but I'm being very serious," Margo grinned, "And you're not invited. And neither is Dante."

"You brat!"

"And you're a jerk for thinking you could make me do what you say," she retorted, "Now, if you don't mind," she said, taking the last swig of her beer, "I have plans to go meet with Nick at his bakery. Later!" she called out with a wave as she walked towards the exit of the guild, Zepplin following her closely.

"Margo! Get back here!" Aero shouted. It was no use though. Margo was already out the door. Aero then turned angry eyes on Gajeel, "This is all your fault!"

"Excuse me?" Gajeel grunted in reply.

"If you had just left my sister alone, she wouldn't be on a team with you."

"You're just being a damn brat because you're not on a team with her," Gajeel smirked, "Looks like I win this battle."

Aero shouted loudly, yanking his steel staff from his holster. He ran at Gajeel with the staff, bringing it down on the man. Gajeel easily caught the piece of metal in his right hand. He stared at it for a moment before a wide grin spread across his face and took a bite out of it.

"What the hell?!" Aero shouted.

"At least you have good taste in steel. Gi Hee," Gajeel laughed, yanking the rest of the staff out of Aero's hands. He began walking out of the guild, taking another bite out of the staff.

"Hey! You owe me a new one!" Aero yelled at him.

"Tch," was all the iron dragon replied with.

"Dammit," Aero cursed.

"Honestly Aero," Mirajane sighed, beginning to clean up the table that Margo and Gajeel had left their drinks on, "I don't know why you decided to pick a fight with Gajeel. It's not like he did anything."

"But he –"

"I know, he touched your sister," Mirajane interrupted him, "But remember what I told you about Margo learning love on her own?"

"Yeah," he answered with his own sigh before realization hit him, "Wait! Are you insinuating that she learn love with that man?!"

"Calm down," Mirajane laughed, "Gajeel isn't so bad. Margo seems to think highly of him and even Natsu seems more comfortable around him. And even if none of them say it, something happened on that mission that they aren't telling anyone. Whatever it was that happened, it helped them all in a better way. Don't ruin this for her, Aero. If she falls for Gajeel, then you have to let her. The only time you'll be allowed to step in is if he hurts her and I highly doubt that will happen. She's going to fight you every step of the way, so you should just leave her alone."

"You want them to be together, don't you?" Aero asked.

"Does it show that easily?" Mirajane laughed lightly in response, causing Aero to sweat drop, "But I'm serious, Aero. You leave your sister and Gajeel be. You may not see it now, but one day you're going to be happy that Margo chose a man like Gajeel."

"But they aren't even together."

"Trust me," she smirked, "I know these things."

"Yeah?" he asked, "So who do you see yourself with?"

Mirajane blushed lightly at his question, feeling a little flustered at being caught off guard by it, "A matchmaker can never make her own match. Where's the challenge in that?"

"Is that so," he said, giving her his own smirk, "Then let me take you out to dinner."

"What?!" she asked, almost dropping the glasses that were in her hands. Mirajane didn't understand why she was so nervous suddenly. Normally, she was able to easily let men down with a witty remark or two, but something about Aero made the butterflies in her stomach flutter. She found that she couldn't easily write him off with a playful comeback.

"You heard me," he said, his smile growing wider, "Let me take you out to dinner."

Mirajane stared at him for a moment before her smile finally returned, "All right," she said, causing Aero's eyes to light up in surprise and joy, "But only if you promise me that you'll leave your sister be. No trying to intervene with her and Gajeel's relationship."

Aero groaned at her request, but he would be stupid to deny it. It wasn't every day that Mirajane said yes to a man, "Fine," he huffed, "I promise."

"Great," she smiled brightly and Aero knew that his promise would be worth it, "We'll go out tomorrow night."

"Sounds good," he smiled back at her, "I'll pick you up at Fairy Hills around seven."

Mirajane agreed to his time and moved back to the bar.

Dante approached his brother and gave him a hard smack on the back, "I can't believe you actually got a date out of Mirajane," he grinned.

"Shut up," Aero growled, "It wasn't that hard."

"Sure it wasn't."

"I bet it's a lot easier than you trying to ask Levy out," Aero said with a sly smile.

"What?!" Dante asked, "What are you talking about?!"

"Don't think I haven't noticed how much time you've been spending with the girl or how you look at her or smile at her or how you act around her or –"

"All right! Shut up!" Dante shouted, afraid that Levy would overhear their conversation.

"At least I had the guts to ask Mirajane out," Aero said, "You probably won't do anything until she asks you…if she asks you."

"Whatever," Dante huffed, crossing his arms with a pout.

"Come on, I'll buy you a drink," Aero laughed, pulling his brother towards the bar.

**. : + : .**

"I can't believe you took his staff and ate it!" Margo laughed as she and Gajeel walked through town.

"Well, the moron thought he could hit me with it," Gajeel said.

"He doesn't always think everything through, especially when he's upset," she said.

"That's apparent," he grunted.

The two became quiet as they made their way through town, Margo knowing exactly where she was going without having to sniff the air. With the silence between the two, she was able to think about what had happened the other night. She was happy that there wasn't any awkwardness between her and Gajeel, but it didn't stop her from still wondering what their kiss had meant. She felt closer to the man and she was glad for it. Just as Gajeel kept saying, Margo knew what it was like to be alone. They had that in common as well as being Dragon Slayers. They both knew what it felt like to have a family and then to have it suddenly disappear. They could help each other and understand each other when things got hard. Even if Gajeel wouldn't admit it, Margo was sure he was happy for their closeness as well. It was hard to be alone for so long. She had lucked out with finding Zepplin when she did or else she was sure that things would have turned out worse for her. It was hard to imagine what it would have been like without anyone by her side, but Gajeel knew that feeling and she frowned at that thought. He never had anyone until he came to Fairy Tail. She decided then that she would always stand by his side even when no one else would.

"Oi! Siren!" Gajeel called out, causing Margo to stop in mid-step, "Where are you going?"

"Huh?" she asked, turning around to face Gajeel.

"You said you were going to Nick's bakery, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well you passed it."

Margo sniffed the air only to realize that Gajeel had been right. She was about two shops down from the bakery. She shook her head and walked back, smiling in embarrassment.

"Weirdo," Gajeel said as he followed her into the small shop.

"Not like you haven't done anything stupid before," she mumbled.

"What was that?"

"I'm not repeating myself."

"You're beginning to frustrate me, woman."

"No one said you had to come with me."

"Don't pretend you didn't want me to come with you."

"You're the one that followed me."

"Are you two married?"

Margo and Gajeel went silent at the sudden question. They turned towards a small table in the bakery. There sat a young boy, maybe about thirteen years old. He had brown hair and hazel eyes. He stared at them with an unamused face.

"Are you going to answer me?" he repeated.

"No, we ain't married!" Gajeel growled, "Who would want to marry someone as annoying as her?" he asked, pointing a finger at Margo.

"Excuse me?!" she shouted, smacking him upside the head, "Who would want to marry metal head like you?!"

"You sure do fight like you're married," the boy stated evenly, "You sound exactly like my parents."

"Then maybe you should run along home to them, little boy," Gajeel snapped.

"I'm not a little boy," he answered, his face staying flat, "And my parents are two cities over from here."

"Then what the hell are you doing here?!" Gajeel shouted, finding the boy annoying.

"Visiting my uncle," he answered, "What are you doing here?"

"I was dragged here," the iron dragon huffed.

"You weren't dragged here," Margo growled, bopping the man on the head again, "Don't lie to children," she added, turning to the boy, "So you're Nick's nephew?" she asked with a smile.

"Yes."

"Are you as good at baking as he is?"

"No, I burnt the last thing I tried to bake."

"Well, at least you're honest," Margo grinned, rubbing the top of his head, "What's your name?"

The boy looked up with wide eyes and a blush. Most people just brushed him off as a know-it-all or a nuisance; even his parents tended to get tired of him. He supposed that's why he was made to come visit his uncle. Nick had a lot of the same attitudes as he had. This woman, though, she just simply smiled at him.

"My name's Codi Maxwell," he answered quietly.

"Well Codi, it's nice to meet you," she said, sticking her hand out towards him, "My name's Margo Lennox and these are my partners, Gajeel Redfox and Zepplin."

"Partners?" he questioned, quirking an eyebrow.

"Yes, we're mages from Fairy Tail," Margo answered, "And we're on a team together."

"Seems like an oddly put together team," Codi said bluntly, "Especially the big guy there," he added, pointing at Gajeel.

"What do you mean by that, you little twerp?!" Gajeel shouted.

"It means that you're a weirdo."

Margo snorted in laughter at the two before a deep voice interrupted them.

"I see you've met my nephew," Nick said, wiping his flour covered hands on a towel.

"Nick!" Margo smiled brightly at the man.

Gajeel noticed her smile and how it was aimed at Nick. Something in him ignited in anger and he moved to stand at his full height with his chest puffed out. Nick eyed him for a moment, noticing his sudden alpha attitude.

"Who's you're friend, Margo?" Nick asked.

"This is Gajeel," Margo answered, her smile softening, "He's my newest, permanent teammate."

"Pleasure to meet you, Gajeel," Nick greeted, sticking his hand out towards the iron dragon. Nick could tell from Margo's smile that the man was important to her, so he ignored Gajeel's attitude and tried to make friends with him. Surprisingly, Gajeel shook Nick's hand, even if he grasped it tighter than need be, "I have to say, you have better manners than her brothers."

"Tch," Gajeel replied, "Anyone has better manners than those two morons."

"Glad to hear I'm not the only one who thinks so," Nick smirked.

"This weirdo doesn't have good manners," Codi interrupted, "He just yelled at me before you came in."

"You little snitch!" Gajeel growled.

"No one has manners when it comes to you," Nick said, his eyes narrowing at Codi.

Margo began laughing again, "He's actually a pretty cute kid," she said.

"I'm not cute!"

"He ain't cute!" Gajeel shouted.

"He's a lot like you, Nick," Margo said, ignoring the other two for now, "Blunt and honest."

"I'm glad you think so," he smiled at her, igniting the angry fire in Gajeel again, "Because I have a really big favor to ask of you."

"What would that be?" she asked.

"Well, my older brother sent Codi here for a couple of reasons," he began, "One was because he was driving his parents crazy," he said, sending a glare towards Codi.

"Dad says it's your fault for teaching me your attitude," Codi huffed, crossing his arms.

Nick's eye twitched in annoyance before he continued, "The other reason was because he can use magic and my brother thought that he could learn some things with Fairy Tail being so close to where I live."

"So what is it you're exactly wanting me to do?" Margo asked, "Do you want me to bring him to Fairy Tail?"

"Sort of," he answered, "I was actually hoping you would be his teacher."

"WHAT?!" both Margo and Gajeel shouted.

"Yeah," Nick said, "He can use sound magic. He's probably nothing close to your level, but I was hoping you could teach him some basic magic. At least how to control it. I think it's the main reason he was driving his parents crazy. He kept blasting holes in their house."

"I can believe that," Margo laughed.

"Please Margo," Nick begged, "He's already blown two holes in my house and one in the back of my bakery. Please take him under your wing."

"Hmm," Margo hummed, thinking about his request.

"You can't seriously be contemplating taking in a twerp like him!" Gajeel shouted.

"And who said I wanted a teacher!" Codi frowned.

"Because you'll never get any better if you don't," Nick retorted, "How do you expect to pick up girls when you blow holes in everything?"

"I don't want to pick up girls," Codi said, sticking his tongue out.

"You say that now," Nick grumbled.

"I'll do it," Margo grinned widely, surprising everyone in the room, "But only under one condition."

"Anything," Nick said.

Margo's sunglasses glinted in the sunlight as she looked towards Nick, "I get free food from your bakery whenever I want."

"Deal," Nick agreed quickly.

"All right, then you get to come with us for now, little man," Margo smirked widely, already thinking about the free baked goods she would be getting in the future.

"I'm not some bargaining chip! I'm not going!"

"You want to become stronger, don't you?" Margo asked.

"Of course I do!"

"Then I'm your only choice. Do you know anyone else that can use sound magic?"

"No," he huffed.

"Then we're stuck with each other. Now, let's go. You need to meet the master and the guild," she said before turning to Nick, "He'll be returned to you later tonight in one piece. I promise."

"Sounds good to me," he smirked.

"You're a horrible uncle."

"And you're a horrible nephew," Nick waved to him as he was dragged out of the bakery by Margo, "Now you have fun!"

**. : + : .**

"Damn, I can't believe Natsu already left on another mission," Margo said from the bar stool she was sitting on, drinking another beer.

"Master said it was a very important mission," Mirajane answered, "Besides, as Natsu said, he was all fired up for the mission."

"Yeah, but it's against the Oracion Seis," Margo stated, "You think they'll be all right?"

"Of course they will be," Mirajane smiled, "All of Team Natsu went on the mission and several other guilds will be there to help as well."

"If you say so," Margo shrugged.

"I think it's cute that you're worried about Natsu," Mirajane laughed, seeing a small blush pass over Margo's cheeks, "I think that mission you all came back from helped you two become better friends. Though, I do have to ask, did something happen on that mission that you're not telling me?"

"Huh? W…why would you think that?" Margo stuttered.

"Because not only can I tell you became closer with Natsu," Mirajane began with a knowing smile, "But you also became closer with Gajeel. You even created a team with him. So what aren't you telling me?" she asked, poking Margo's cheek playfully.

Margo batted her hand away with a heavier blush, "Nothing happened."

"You're lying," Mirajane laughed, "That man hasn't taken his eyes off of you since you came back to the guild," she said, looking over at Gajeel. He sat at a back table, carefully watching the two women at the bar, "So what happened. Come on! I promise not to tell anyone else."

Margo stayed quiet for a moment. It would be nice to get a woman's perspective on what happened, "You really promise not to tell anyone?" she asked, "I swear, if this gets out, my brothers will explode."

"Cross my heart and hope to die," Mirajane answered, crossing her heart with her index finger.

"All right," Margo sighed, "We kissed on the last night we were at the resort."

Margo covered her ears when she heard Mirajane squeal in happiness, hugging Margo in the process, "I knew it!"

"Ssshhh!" Margo hissed, knowing that people would be looking at them.

"Sorry," Mirajane smiled, "But that's great!"

"You really think so?"

"Do you think it's a bad thing, Margo?" Mirajane frowned, "I thought you were coming to like Gajeel."

"No, no," Margo said quickly, "It's not a bad thing. It was nice and gentle and warm," she said, a dreamy look in her eyes.

"So what's the problem?"

"Well, I don't know what to think of it. I don't know what it meant exactly," Margo frowned, "We haven't known each other all that long, but there's something there."

"Just follow your heart, Margo," Mirajane smiled softly, "You don't need to rush into anything right now, but that doesn't mean you can't have some fun with him along the way. Just stay true to yourself. If that means you need to take some time to figure everything out, then so be it. But I'll tell you one thing," she said, "That man likes you, a lot. Don't be surprised if he starts acting jealous around other men."

"You really think he's gonna act jealous?"

"He has an alpha attitude," she giggled in reply, "Of course he's going to be jealous, especially after he's kissed you."

"Thanks for the warning, Mira," Margo sighed, "And thanks for listening."

"Anytime," she smiled in reply, "Now, considering your other problem," she said, pointing towards the other end of the bar, "That's not something I'm going to be able to help you with so easily. Although, I have to admit you're right. Codi is a little cutie."

"Yeah, but he's got a mouth on him," Margo said.

"I'm sure you'll be able to deal with that easily."

"Just show me what you can do already!" Makarov shouted, interrupting all conversations, "If you want to be part of this guild, you're going to have to show me what you can do."

"Who said I wanted to be part of this guild, old man?!" Codi shouted back.

"SHOW ME YOUR MAGIC!" Makarov bellowed, turning into his larger size.

Codi shouted before sending out an uncontrolled blast of sound at the man. It sent Makarov sliding back a few feet, but made no mark on the man. Codi on the other hand, went flying backwards from the force of the attack. Margo easily grabbed him by the back of the shirt with one hand while taking a drink of her beer. She solidly set the glass down before turning towards the boy.

"Lesson one: Don't send out more magic than you can handle," she said evenly, "You'll just end up hurting yourself or other people that way."

"I still don't understand how a blind woman is going to be able to teach me," Codi frowned at her.

"I can hear the frown in your voice. I can hear my brother's motorcycle down the road. I can hear the birds flying over the ocean. I can hear every single movement in this guild hall and who each movement belongs to. What can you hear Codi?"

"I can hear your annoyance," he huffed.

"Well, that's a start," she grinned, plopping him down next to her and ordering a root beer float for him, "Lesson two: Never underestimate someone. Even the smallest opponent will fight for its life," she explained, "Now, tell me why you're fighting against becoming part of the guild so much."

"You wouldn't understand," he grumbled.

"Try me."

Codi sighed before he began his story, "My grandpa was part of a guild. He was good at magic and going on missions, but then…he never came back home after his last mission. Because he was a part of a guild and went on missions, he left his family behind. My dad was depressed for a long time. I don't want to cause my family the same kind of pain."

"I see," Margo said softly, "But did your dad understand the kind of work your grandpa was doing?"

"Yeah," he answered, "He bragged about my grandpa to everyone. He thought he was the greatest."

"Well then, wouldn't it be causing your family pain if you didn't become what you love? You want to practice magic or else you wouldn't have let me drag you all the way here," Margo smiled, "And don't you want your dad to brag about you as well?"

Codi was quiet for a moment, thinking about what Margo was telling him, "I…I want to be a mage."

"Then I'll teach you how and you'll be able to show your family that you can be a great mage just like your grandpa."

Codi stared at her with wide eyes again, "Thanks, Margo," he said quietly.

"No problem, little man," she laughed, rubbing his head again.

**. : + : .**

Margo was walking back home after making sure Codi made it back to Nick's bakery. The boy was actually excited to show Nick his green Fairy Tail stamp under his left eye just like Margo. She was smiling to herself as she walked in the dying light of the evening sun. It was actually nice to have a kid looking up to her like Codi. Plus, she had all that free food from Nick's bakery in her future.

"You look rather happy," a smooth voice interrupted her thoughts.

Margo froze in her spot in the middle of the road, Zepplin growling at a figure walking towards them, "Kaiden," she said lowly, "I thought I told you to leave."

"Did you really think I would listen to you?" he asked, standing directly in front of her.

"After our last meeting, yes I did," she growled, "Do I need to punch you again?"

"You'll never be able to land a hit on me so easily again," he said, moving a piece of hair out of her face.

Margo jerked away from him and lifted a hand to punch him. Kaiden easily caught her fist before she could even bring it forward, "You have to be much quicker, Sugar-chan," he whispered into her ear before giving it a kiss.

Before either one of them knew what was happening, Kaiden was being yanked backwards and lifted into the air by his shirt collar. His blue eyes made contact with furious red ones. Sharp teeth were bared at him and the fist around his collar began to turn into iron.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Gajeel spat out.

"Awww, is he your protector now, Margo?" Kaiden asked with a grin, "I hope you know that Margo is mine. No matter how hard you try, you'll never be able to have her."

"Shut up!" Gajeel shouted.

"I was her first for everything," Kaiden smirked, "The first person to accept her for who she is, the first to kiss her, the first to steal her heart," he said, his voice becoming quiet, "The first to take her innocence."

"SHUT UP!" Gajeel roared, punching him in the face with his free hand. He slammed Kaiden down on the ground, turning his free hand into a sword and aiming it at his neck.

"You'll only ever be second best to her," Kaiden continued, "You'll never get to have any firsts with her. And she'll only ever be tainted goods to you."

Fire raged in Gajeel's eyes as he began to lower the sword on Kaiden. The blonde man managed to slash both of his hands across the sword, sending out a wave of blood towards Gajeel. The Dragon Slayer flew backwards, landing next to Margo. Kaiden quickly stood up, forming the blood pouring out of both hands into two swords. He rushed up on Gajeel before the man could stand, but he managed to block the attack with his iron covered arm. Gajeel turned his sword into a club and extended it into Kaiden's stomach, sending the man backwards. Before he got too far, Kaiden turned one of his swords into a whip and attached the end of it around one of Gajeel's legs. The iron dragon was dragged along with Kaiden, the blonde mage, slamming Gajeel on the ground with the whip.

"Sound Dragon's Ultrasonic Bullet!" Margo yelled, sending a larger amount of sound magic than she normally would towards Kaiden. The attack caught him off guard since all of his focus was on Gajeel. Kaiden flew back into the back of a shop, slumping down the wooden wall. Margo ran over to Gajeel to check on him, "Are you all right?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he grunted as he sat up, rolling his shoulders in the process. His arms were back to his normal skin, releasing the magic for now.

Kaiden stood and shook off Margo's attack. He ran towards them, turning his blood into a spear with a long, sharp blade on the end of it. He brought the spear down on the pair. Gajeel moved quickly, placing himself in between Margo and Kaiden. The blade of Kaiden's weapon dug deeply into Gajeel's right shoulder. Margo's eyes went wide when she heard Gajeel curse and felt drops of blood drip down onto her leg.

"Gajeel," she whispered, reaching out to his wound.

"It's not so bad, Siren," he growled out.

"Not so bad?" Kaiden asked, practically laughing, "Then how about this," he said, lifting the blade slightly off his shoulder and began running it down across his shoulder blade.

Gajeel finally let out a shout of pain.

"STOP!" Margo roared as she unleashed her power. The power was enough to send Kaiden backwards and remove the blade from Gajeel's back. Margo stood with sound and water magic swirling around her. She stepped in front of Gajeel, "You'll pay for hurting Gajeel," she said lowly, lifting a hand up at Kaiden. Just as she was about to send out water and sound to attack him, a dark shadow appeared in between Margo and Kaiden.

"Master," Kaiden said, quickly bowing his head.

"Kaiden," she said, "I told you not to make your appearance yet. You've disobeyed me."

"I'm sorry, master," he said quietly.

"We'll deal with it later," she stated, "At least I know now that you're willing to attack your precious Margo."

"Who are you?" Margo asked, her arm still aimed at Kaiden.

"You will learn in time, girl," she answered before her shadow swept across the area like black wings. In an instant both her and Kaiden were gone.

Margo blinked in confusion before releasing her 'Sound Water Dragon Mode' once she realized that the enemy wouldn't be coming back. She dropped to her knees in exhaustion. She was going to have to learn how to use that mode without it draining her so quickly. She took a few deep breaths before forcing herself to stand up. She stood on shaky legs, turning back towards Gajeel. She could worry about Kaiden and the mystery woman later. She needed to help him first.

"Gajeel," she called out, "Are you all right?" she asked, falling to her knees next to him.

"Does it look like I'm all right?" he snapped, holding his right shoulder tightly.

"Come on, let's go back to the guild," she said, trying to pull both of them up, "Someone can patch you up there."

"No," he answered, "I don't want everyone seeing me like this."

"Don't be stupid," she said in a hard tone, "We need to get your shoulder fixed up."

"I can do that at my place," Gajeel grunted, moving to stand up without her.

"Ugh! Fine!" she grunted back at him, "But at least let me help you."

"You don't have to do that."

"And you didn't have to take the hit like you did," Margo huffed, still sitting on the ground, "It's my fault that you got wounded, so let me help you."

Gajeel pulled her up with his left hand after wiping it off on his shirt, "It's not your fault, woman," he said with an angry tone, "You got that?"

"Yes," she said quietly.

"Good, now let's go."

"We can take Zepplin to your home," she said, "It'll be quicker since you're wounded and I have no energy."

"Fine," he said, watching as Zepplin turned into his larger form when Margo asked him to. She climbed onto him first and then motioned for Gajeel to do the same. He managed to do it with one hand, sitting in front of Margo like she asked him to.

"Take off your shirt," Margo stated.

"What?!" he shouted.

"Just do it and get your head out of the gutters," she said with a flat stare. Gajeel rolled his eyes and managed to get his shirt off with some help from Margo. Margo took the shirt from him and pressed it tightly against his wound, "This should help stop the bleeding some," she explained, "Now, you can tell Zepplin how to get to your house."

"Go to the outskirts of town towards the forest, dog," he grunted. Zepplin began moving the way that Gajeel had ordered. The iron dragon was a little surprised at first when Margo wrapped her free hand around his waist, but he slowly calmed down when he felt her forehead land softly on his back. The hand on his shirt covered wound tightened, but he stayed silent through the pain. He simply laid his own hand on the one that was around his waist as they traveled in silence.

* * *

**A/N: **Well, there you go! Hope you all enjoyed it! I'll have the next one up soon!

Remember to review please!

Yours Truly,

MyDearWatson


	22. Blood and Heat

**A/N: **OMG! An update!

I'm sorry for taking a while on getting this chapter up! . But after going to see 'You're Next' it was hard for me to focus on a romantic scene. I had about 9 pages written three days ago, but it was definitely forced and I refused to post it! So I started over on the chapter and I'm much happier with the way it turned out.

This chapter definitely took a different turn (as they all normally do lol), but again, I really liked it. It's also a bit shorter than normal, but I hope the romance of the chapter makes up for that! I would have added more to the chapter, but the things I have planned next didn't really match up with the flow of this one. So I said, 'Screw it! I'm making this whole chapter a romance one!' The next chapter should have more plot to it, so for now, just enjoy this little addition to the story! ^.^

I would like to thank Link, fanficFreakShingeki, Savage Kill, FreeHugs0009 and Kasai no Oni for their reviews! And a big thank you to all of you that have added this story to their favorite/alert lists! ^.^

Link - Glad to hear that you are liking all three relationships. I'm hoping to make more headway with Aero and Dante's relationships soon! Aero will more than likely come first before Dante. And yes, Kaiden is back! It's gonna take some time before the huge climatic scene happens between him and Margo; considering I still have to explain his master and few others that are part of the Fallen Angel guild. But things should get interesting soon since I gave Margo an apprentice and now that her and Gajeel are a team. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

fanficFreakShingeki - Thank you for both reviews! ^.^ Glad to hear the kissing scene turned out so well. I was hoping it would. Hopefully that means you'll like this chapter too! And I'm also glad you enjoyed the Kaiden scene as well! He'll be in more of the upcoming chapters! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Savage Kill - LOL! Yeah, even if Codi can use sound magic, I just pictured Margo not teaching him for free. The free food happened to work out very well too! And yeah, Kaiden has some issues. Margo was his first friend and love, so he's having a hard time letting go of her. Plus, he does have an evil side to him and he wants to mess with Gajeel. Basically the good and the bad in him are battling it out and it's making him a little...crazy, but more will be explained about him in the future. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

FreeHugs0009 - LOL! I hope there's enough fluff in the chapter to satisfy you! And yeah, I understand. Gajeel fluff is just...as you said, there's just no words to describe it, that's probably why I wrote this chapter the way I did, lol. I'm glad to hear that you're liking the story so much! Yes, some of the original plot will be in this story. I have plans to include the Edolas Arc, the S-Class Exams and the Grand Magic Games so far! (Although, the Edolas Arc part may not be all the long, I haven't decided on all of that one right now.) And glad to hear that you like my own arcs! :3 And yeah, I know it's hard to find good OC stories. I've had a hard time hunting some down, but they are out there! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Kasai no Oni - Glad that you're still liking the brothers! LOL! You really hate Kaiden, but he is meant to be hated. Glad you liked the last chapter so much and I hope you enjoy this one too!

I don't own Fairy Tail!

Please enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 22: Blood and Heat**

Zepplin moved as quickly as he could without bumping around the two people on his back too much. He had made it to the outskirts of town towards the forest like Gajeel had told him. He barked up at Margo and Gajeel, waiting for them to tell him where to go. The bark woke a half asleep Margo. Luckily for them, Zepplin's back was wide or else Margo was sure they would have slid off of him by now.

"Which way is it Gajeel?" Margo asked, but she received no response from the man, "Oi! Gajeel! Which way?" she asked again, still receiving no answer from him, "Dammit," she cursed when she realized that the man had fallen into unconsciousness. She was sure that the only reason he had stayed sitting was because of her hand on his shoulder and the other hand around his waist. Margo wasn't sure what to do for a moment until a scent hit her nose. On the wind she could smell iron and stone. It was Gajeel's scent coming from somewhere deep in the forest. She got Zepplin to move in the direction of the scent, knowing it had to be his home.

Zepplin began to make his way into the forest, carefully weaving around all the trees. Margo kept directing him as they made their way deeper into the forest until they finally came to a small house made out of solid, gray stone. The sides of the house were smoothed down, like someone had worked them down by hand. The roof was smoothed down the same way and had a chimney as well. The door was made of a smooth, thick oak and glass windows were all around the house. It sat in a small open area that was surrounded by tall trees to keep it shaded and hidden.

Zepplin stopped in front of the stone building, easing down to the ground so the two on his back could slide off of him. Margo moved down Zepplin first, making sure that Gajeel wouldn't slide off the hound by accident. She landed on the ground with shaky legs, still being tired from her exertion of power earlier. Once she felt ready, Margo told Zepplin to ease Gajeel's body down to her. She was able to catch his body when it slide down, even if she stumbled a little. She steadied herself and then pulled his good arm across her shoulders while her other hand wrapped around his waist. She began walking towards the front door, moving slower than normal since she had to lug Gajeel with her.

Margo sniffed the air, smelling the stone in the air from his house. It helped to better explain to her why he smelled the way he did. She threw the door open to reveal a large living room area with a black, leather couch and a couple of black beanbag chairs on soft gray carpet. A medium sized television sat across from the couch and a large, black stool sat in front of the couch in a rectangle shape. Black, steel side tables were on either side of the couch and each had a small lamp on them. On the far side of the living room was a large bay window area, though, its curtains were closed at the moment. Framed records of famous blues and jazz singers hung from the walls.

Across from the living room was a small kitchen and dining room area. It had the same soft, gray carpet with an oak table that fit four people. The kitchen was filled with several drawers and cabinets made out of the same dark oak wood. It also had a silver kitchen sink and a simple, black fridge. The dining room area had a sliding glass door that led to a small porch area with wooden, beach-like chairs and a small table in between them.

A hallway led to a bathroom that included a shower and a small office room that Gajeel had used to store the things he had collected over the years of missions or traveling. Across from the office room was a large bedroom that also had the gray carpeting. A large bed with black sheets and blankets filled the middle of the room. It had a small closet with sliding, wooden doors and a decent sized dresser that was made out of the same oak wood as everything else. A large stereo system sat across from the dresser, all the high tech equipment in a sleek black color. A few posters of some blues singers decorated the bedroom walls.

"Whoa," Margo gasped when she felt what the house looked like. She could also feel the water pipes that ran under the house that must have led to a nearby water source. She could feel the electrical lines underneath the house that more than likely came from the main town, "I wonder if he built this on his own?" she thought aloud.

Margo filed the thought away for later when she wasn't dragging an unconscious man around. She stepped inside, a normal sized Zepplin following her closely. She didn't bother turning the light on in the living room since she couldn't see anyway. She slipped her boots off by the front door before pushing it closed with a foot. She made a bee line for the bathroom at the end of the hallway. She did flick the light on in the bathroom in order for Zepplin to see things if she needed his help.

"I don't even know what to do," she said, worry in her voice. She knew that Gajeel had to have lost enough blood to have him pass out like that and she wanted to get his arm wrapped before he lost anymore. She bit her lip, trying to figure out what to do, "I don't know where anything is," she whispered. Suddenly, she heard Zepplin scratching on a cabinet door below the sink. Margo turned towards the hound, figuring that he must have sniffed something out. She eased Gajeel's body down on the toilet seat and then moved to open the door of the cabinet. She reached in and felt the soft material of towels. She smiled a little at Zepplin, "Good boy," she said as she pulled out two black towels.

Margo sat them on the top of the sink before she turned back to Gajeel. She knew that he needed to be cleaned off first before she could even think about wrapping his wound. She decided on doing the only thing she could think of at the moment. Margo quickly took his boots off before pulling him up again. She left his pants on for obvious reasons, deciding to deal with that problem later.

"Oh my God!" she growled, "He's so freaking heavy!" she huffed out as she struggled to move him into the bathtub, "He needs to cut back on all that metal!" she added before stepping into the bathtub first. Once she was in, she focused on pulling him up and into the tub. She received some help from Zepplin, who tried his best to push Gajeel upwards so Margo could pull him over the edge of the tub. She finally got him into the tub and none too gently dropped him down into it, "Dammit!" she cursed again after his body thudded against the hard marble of the tub. She sighed heavily, "At least he's in."

Margo turned and felt for the knobs to turn on the water. Once she found them, she twisted them both on and let the faucet run until the water turned warm. She then pulled the tab up to make the shower head turn on. Water instantly hit her face, causing her to turn back around to face Gajeel. She sat on her knees and pulled him up into a sitting position. She gently peeled his shirt off of his wound and threw it to the bathroom floor. The metallic scent of blood wafted into her nose and Margo froze.

Everything that had happened in the past hour had finally caught up with her. Kaiden appearing and attacking them. He had actually tried to hurt her. How could he claim to still love her and then try to attack her? And all the things he said to Gajeel, telling him that he would only be second best and that she would always be tainted to Gajeel. Would Gajeel even be able to look at her the same because of those words? Margo suddenly let go of Gajeel as if his skin had burned her hands.

His body thumped against the marble again and he slid down further into the tub due to the water. He was now lying on his back, blood mixing in with the clear water from his wound. Water sprinkled down on his face as Margo hovered above him with pain in her eyes. From all the movement and the water hitting him, Gajeel finally started to come to; though Margo wasn't focused enough to sense that.

"Shit!" she cursed, her voice rising, "I just keep fucking dropping you! How am I supposed to be any help to you like this?! I told you we should have gone to the guild!" she shouted, her fists hitting his chest, "Now we're both just gonna be soaked and in an even bigger mess! And you're probably gonna have a scar because of me! How am I supposed to face you now?!" she continued to shout, tears forming and falling onto Gajeel, "You're wrong, you know! This whole thing is my fault! You got hurt and it's my fault!"

Gajeel heard every single word and he had finally opened his eyes to see tears falling from her eyes. He frowned at the tears, and yet, he found a bitter happiness in them. She was crying for him and no one had ever done that for him. He just wished that he could have witnessed those tears in a situation where he wasn't in a tub, bleeding.

Gajeel had no idea what to say to Margo to calm her down, so he opted for a physical response instead. Slowly, he lifted his arms up and wrapped them around her. He pulled her down against him as she continued to cry and say 'it was her fault'. Gajeel's grip tightened around her every time he heard her say that phrase, but he stayed quiet. He just continued to hold her and let her cry on him, feeling like he was back at the resort that first night. He had held her then to calm her down, so he assumed that it would work this time too.

Eventually, Margo quieted down. She only let out a few small sniffles as she continued to lay on Gajeel, her damp hair sticking to her face, "You're awake," she said softly.

"Good observation," he answered in his own quiet tone. A moment of silence passed between them before he spoke again, "I didn't mean to fall asleep on you."

"It's fine," she replied.

"I'm impressed that you were able to carry me this far."

"Yeah," she said.

Gajeel sighed before pushing them both up into a sitting position with his good arm. He reached passed her and turned off the water. He pushed back the pieces of hair that had fallen in his face and looked at Margo, "Take one of those towels and go into my room. You can find clothes to change into in the dresser."

"But your shoulder," she protested.

"I can take care of it myself," he grunted.

"Gajeel," she began to say, but he cut her off.

"Just do this for me, Margo," he said in a serious tone.

A shiver ran down her spine when he said her name instead of his usual nickname for her. His voice was deep and reassuring and Margo knew then there would be no fighting him on this subject.

"All right," she gave in with a sigh, "But if you need anything, just let me know."

"I will," he said, watching her stand up and step out of the tub. He frowned again when he saw the blood on her tank top and shorts. He looked down at the tub floor, not wanting to see her covered in his own blood. She grabbed a towel and disappeared into his room with Zepplin, leaving Gajeel in silence.

Gajeel sat in the tub for a long moment, continuing to stare down into the water. He was angry and disappointed in himself. In his mind, Gajeel knew he could have easily deflected Kaiden's attack with that spear; but something in him snapped when he thought of Margo being Kaiden's actual target. The need to protect her from him overtook his normal thinking patterns, and so, he had done the only thing his mind could think of in that moment – stand in front of her. If he had just listened to his rational brain, he wouldn't be here in this tub and Margo wouldn't have that blood on her.

Gajeel sighed, figuring he needed to leave the subject alone long enough for him to clean himself up. In a short time, he had taken a proper shower, ridding himself of his soaked pants. He managed to wrap his shoulder up properly, having taken care of wounds like it before if his scars on his arms were any proof of that. He walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist and his hair still damp with pieces of it falling in his face. When he made his way into his room, Gajeel found Margo sitting on the floor in front of his stereo system, giving the system a flat stare. Zepplin sat next to her with the same look on his face. She was dressed in baggy white shorts that went passed her knees and a black hoodie with the hood up over her. The clothes were made for a man of Gajeel's stature, so they hung loosely on Margo. Though, Gajeel had to admit that he liked how she looked in his clothes.

He moved to his dresser to grab some clothes, leaving Margo alone for the moment so he could change in peace. When he turned back to her, he was wearing black shorts that hung from his hips and ended passed his knees. He left his torso bare since he didn't want to bother with a shirt as of the moment.

"What are you doing?" he asked after realizing that she wasn't going to turn away from the stereo.

"I don't know how to work this thing," she answered.

"And you think staring at it like that will make it work?"

"Maybe," she grumbled, causing Gajeel to laugh at her, "It's not funny!" she pouted, puffing out her cheeks in irritation.

"It's actually pretty funny," he replied with a smirk, "And didn't you mention that you have a something like this at your apartment? Shouldn't you know how to work it?"

"I have a record player, you moron," she retorted with a huff, "They work differently than this thing."

"Too bad for you then. Gi Hee," he laughed.

"You're not gonna help me?" Margo asked quickly, finally turning to look at him.

"Why should I? You just called me a moron."

"Please Gajeel," she begged, looking up at him with big puppy dog eyes, "I want to listen to music. And I did drag you all the way here too!"

"Fine," he gave in, "But we're listening to what I want to listen to."

"That's fine," she said with a smile.

Gajeel slid her out of the way with one foot, causing Margo to laugh in response. He turned to face the stereo and pressed a few buttons. Soon soft, alternative music began playing, filling the room with low beats and a smooth female voice. He turned back to Margo to see she had an eyebrow quirked up at him.

"What?"

"I'm just surprised that it's not jazz or the blues," she mentioned.

"I listen to other things, ya know," he said, "Unless you want me to turn it off."

"I didn't say that!" she growled, "I like the sound of this music!"

"Yeah?" he asked, a smirk spreading across his face, "Then get up."

"Huh?"

"Get up," he repeated, reaching out with his good hand to help her up.

"What are you doing?" she asked when she was on her feet.

Instead of answering her, Gajeel moved her right hand to lay on his shoulder. He wrapped his left arm around her waist, his hand pressing into the small of her back. He then gripped her other hand with his right, his smirk still on his lips. He began to move to the beat of the music, causing Margo to follow suit.

"Gajeel, what are you doing?"

"What does it look like, stupid?" he retorted, but there was no bite in his tone, "We're dancing."

"But why?"

"Why not?"

Margo's face softened, letting the iron dragon lead her in the dance, "I didn't know you could dance," she smiled up at him.

"And I didn't know you would be such a good partner," he replied, spinning her outwards before pulling her back to him.

"I'm a sound dragon," she said, "I have to have rhythm. Where did you learn to dance?"

"Metalicana taught me how," he answered as they continued to waltz around the room, "The grump said I should know how to in order to impress a woman."

"Well, has it worked?"

"You tell me," Gajeel said as he dipped Margo, his smirk growing.

Margo blushed at his forwardness. Before she could answer him, Gajeel's right arm flinched in pain from holding her up. He suddenly dropped Margo and fell down over her, keeping himself from falling on top of her with his left arm. Margo laughed loudly after she hit the floor as she imagined Gajeel's embarrassment.

"That normally doesn't happen," he grumbled, an embarrassed flush crossing his cheeks.

"I'm sure it doesn't," she smiled, feeling his damp hair brush across her shoulder. She suddenly felt the need to touch it. She reached her hands out and ran her fingers through the long, dark strands, surprised to find that it was smooth to the touch. She always figured that it would be rougher because of his personality, but she was able to brush her fingers right through it. Margo let her hands travel from his hair to his neck and up to his jaw line, her fingers gently pressing against his skin. She followed the sharp jaw line until she reached his chin where she felt the two studs of metal. She let one hand trace his lips while the other moved up to feel his cheekbones. Once she had memorized his lips, that hand moved up to his nose to feel the studs on either side of it. Both hands then moved up past his cheekbones, circling around his eyes. She felt the three studs above each eye, laughing to herself when she realized that they formed his eyebrows.

"What are you doing?" Gajeel finally asked, not that he minded her touch.

"Memorizing what you look like," she answered as her fingers ran over his forehead and back into his hair, "I can't see you, so this is what I have to do."

"Why haven't you done it to anyone else?"

"Do you know how awkward that would be?" she laughed.

"Then why me?"

"Because…" she began, drifting off for a moment as her fingers ghosted over the studs in his ears, "I want to know what you look like. It's important to me," she said softly. Margo was about to pull him down to her lips, but her hands froze after falling down his neck and over his shoulders. She felt the bandaging on his right shoulder and she instantly felt guilty again, "You're probably going to have a scar there," she said quietly.

"Yeah, probably," he said, his voice low and husky, "Don't apologize for it," he added when he saw her open her mouth, "I have others," he said, pulling her hand against his arm. Margo moved her hand across his smooth skin and the four studs in his arm until she felt the rough skin of a scar. As she moved her hand upwards, she felt other scars line his arm, "At least I'll have gotten this scar for doing something good. And it's not your fault, Margo," he said in a finalizing tone.

Margo wasn't sure what it was. Between feeling his scars, his words, the deep tone in his voice and the way he said her name, something in her snapped. She grabbed his chin and crashed her lips onto his.

This kiss was very different than the first one. It was more passionate and fiery and it was driving Gajeel wild, especially since she initiated it this time. He growled lowly when he felt her hands run up into his hair and she nipped at his bottom lip. He answered her by running his tongue across her own bottom lip, causing Margo to gasp is slight surprise. Gajeel used that moment to slide his tongue passed her lips and fully taste her. She really did taste sweet, as if all that candy she ate left a permanent flavor of sugar on her. Margo responded back to him, giving him a run for his money in the dominance category; but she honestly just wanted to know what he tasted like as well. She could definitely taste the metal he ate, but there was a hint of something like autumn spices; like cinnamon and ginger. She suddenly couldn't get enough of it, but they had to break for air.

Margo panted from the sudden rush she got from kissing him and the need for more. While she was trying to catch her breath, Gajeel moved down her jaw and neck. His studs ran across her skin gently while his own breath came out in short, hot puffs. He kissed down on the curve of her neck where it met her shoulder, feeling her quick heartbeat underneath the heated skin. Gajeel didn't move from that spot. He could smell her sweet forest scent mix with the scent of her want perfectly in that spot. He gave her neck an open mouthed kiss, letting himself taste her skin. His fangs raked across her smooth skin, Gajeel knowing they would leave light red marks for the night. She gasped again at the action and every fiber in his being was telling him to bite down and mark her right there and then. He had never felt this rush of need with any other woman that he had bedded over the years. Margo was different. She stirred something deep within him, and for that reason, Gajeel reluctantly pulled away from her. His left fist clenched tightly as he laid his forehead against her shoulder while he took some time to catch his breath and bring himself back to reality.

'Damn,' Margo thought as she also took the moment to calm down and catch her breath.

"Margo," Gajeel said lowly, not bothering to lift his head up. His serious tone and the use of her name instantly caught her attention, "You're not tainted goods. And don't you dare ever think you are."

Margo smiled warmly at his words, running a hand gently through his hair, "And you're not second best," she replied, "And you will have firsts with me. You were the first to fight me at Fairy Tail. You're the first person I created a team with. And you're the first person to get me into the water. These are important things, Gajeel. Don't let their importance diminish because of what Kaiden said."

Gajeel finally lifted his head to look down at her. He saw the honesty in her eyes and he let a small, genuine smile escape when he saw her own warm smile. He gave her a chaste kiss, barely letting his lips touch her own. He didn't want to end up in their previous state and he wasn't sure if he had the strength to stop himself twice in one night.

He lifted himself from Margo and stood up above her. Gajeel then pulled her up with his good arm, "Time for bed," he said, heading for his bed.

"Uh…should I go to the living room?"

"What? No," he answered, giving her his own flat stare for once, "You can sleep in here with me."

Margo narrowed her eyes at him, not sure what to think of his suggestion.

"I ain't gonna do anything to you," he stated with an irritated tone. They had just shared a very intense kiss, so Gajeel didn't understand why she was suddenly worried about sleeping in the same bed.

"You're gonna end up turning me into Natsu," she said, "First, all those nights at the resort of sleeping in the same room and now this."

"That guy is just a freak of nature," Gajeel grumbled, but he liked the idea of her sleeping in his bed more often; not that he would tell her that though, "Do you want to sleep on the floor?"

"No."

"Then get in the bed, Siren," he grunted as he threw the covers back.

"Fine, but no funny business," she said, walking to the opposite side of the bed.

"Whatever."

"I'm serious," she retorted, "I'll sick Zepplin on you," she warned. At the mention of his name, Zepplin jumped up on the bed and let out a small bark meant for Gajeel.

Gajeel stared the hound down for a minute, trying to set his dominance over Zepplin. The hellhound didn't look away or even blink, causing Gajeel to sigh and give in, "Damn dog, taking control over my own bed. You should be grateful that I'm letting you stay here! I could put you outside!" he shouted, earning a growl from Zepplin.

"Don't start an argument now," Margo groaned, "I'm tired," she added as she plopped herself down onto the bed. She breathed in the scent of the bed. She could smell the usual aroma of iron and stone, but there was a hidden scent; like leaves falling in autumn and spices swirling in the cool fall breeze. Summer was Margo's favorite season, but she was quickly starting to love the autumn season more.

Margo turned on her side and snuggled into the pillow. Soon, she felt Gajeel climb into the bed and pull the covers up over the both of them. She then felt Zepplin curl up at the end of the bed. Just when she thought things had settled down for the night, Gajeel moved closer next to her and suddenly she was pulled up against him. She could feel his chest muscles up against her back through the cloth of the hoodie and she flushed.

"Hey! I thought I said no funny business!" she grumbled at him.

"Just shut up," he growled back at her, his heavy arm on her waist locking her into place.

She sighed, but smiled nonetheless. She felt herself drift off to a half-asleep state while listening to the music that was still playing. The smell of autumn all around her and Gajeel's presence behind her finally let her nerves relax and she let sleep overtake her.

* * *

**A/N: **There you go! Hope you all enjoyed it! I'll have the next one up soon!

Also, I would like to take the time to make a shout out to a writer! She goes by Raiyane and she's just awesome! If you haven't checked her story out, you need to! It's called 'Silver Griffin: The Rise of a New Guild'. She takes the time to take characters from us readers and make a story with them. I was impressed that she could take so many characters and write them all since they all have different personalities! I wanted to thank her for accepting two of my character for an upcoming new fic that she will be writing! Please go check her story out!

Please remember to review!

Yours Truly,

MyDearWatson


	23. It Begins

**A/N: **Whoo! Another chapter down!

So I don't have much to say this time around other than I'm excited for the next chapter since Fallen Angel will be making more of an appearance now.

I would like to thank Link, Savage Kill and fanficFreakShingeki for their reviews!

Link - LOL! Glad to hear you liked the last chapter so much. I had a lot of fun with the opening scene for this chapter, so I hope you like it too! Hope you enjoy the whole chapter as well!

Savage Kill - I'm not sure about other Dragon Slayers, but I pictured Gajeel being heavy because of all that metal he eats, lol. And I'm not sure on the whole 'mate' thing yet. I wasn't sure if you readers would like that or not since I've read quite a few fics that do that. Guess I'll just have to see if you readers like that idea and if it fits well in the story line the farther I get into the story. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

fanficFreakShingeki - Please do look for that story! I actually have it in my favorites. It's so good and I can't wait for her newest story when she starts it! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

I don't own Fairy Tail!

Please enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 23: It Begins**

Gajeel woke up first, a sliver of sunshine peeking through the black curtains of his bedroom window. He laid flat on his back with one arm up above his head and the other stuck under Margo's stomach. He blinked a few times, letting his body wake up slowly. He was a little surprised to feel the smooth skin of her stomach until he looked down to see the hoodie had ridden up slightly. Gajeel then registered her own arm across his stomach. He looked over at her to see her head was facing away from him, a mess of dark blue hair was all he could see of her at the moment; but he smirked nonetheless. Gajeel decided that he wouldn't mind waking up this way more often.

He laid there unmoving for a moment longer before he decided it was time to get up. He slid out of the bed, shaking the arm that had been under Margo a little since it had gone numb. He looked back at her and pulled the covers up over her before he excited the room, surprisingly with Zepplin following him.

"Morning dog," Gajeel said once they were out of the room, "Though, I'm surprised that you actually left her side."

Zepplin stared at Gajeel before he turned towards the sliding glass door of the dining room and scratched at it.

"All right," the iron dragon said as he moved to open the door. He stepped outside with Zepplin, the black hound disappearing into the woods for a few minutes. Gajeel breathed in the early morning air deeply before he sat down on one of the wooden chairs. Zepplin reappeared and curled up beside Gajeel's feet, "Good dog," he grunted, rubbing a hand on his head while he watched the sun rise.

Gajeel let the quiet of the forest relax him. He could hear birds chirping off in the distance and cicadas buzz, indicating that it would be a hot day. After a short while, he heard footsteps move towards the opened sliding door. He didn't move or look back, already knowing who it was. The footsteps stopped right behind his chair. He could smell the sweet scent of the woman who had slept in his bed hanging above him. Gajeel finally moved his head backwards to lock his red eyes on dull gold ones.

"Morning," he greeted quietly, feeling the ends of her dark hair tickle his face.

"Morning," she answered softly, "How's your shoulder?"

"It's fine," he said.

"Good," she replied with a smile, "Zepplin really seems to like you," she added, "He usually waits for me."

"I'm sure it was only because he had to go to the bathroom."

"I don't think so," she grinned, "If that was the case, he would have just come back to bed instead of staying out here with you."

"I suppose," Gajeel grunted.

Margo smiled at him again before moving to the other chair on the small porch and plopped herself down into it, "Thanks for letting us stay here, by the way. I hope it wasn't too much of a bother."

"It wasn't," he answered.

"Glad to hear that," she said, "We should probably head to the guild soon though. I'm sure someone noticed that I didn't go to Fairy Hills last night and it's bound to get back to my brothers. Plus, I want to check out the missions available and I'm sure Codi will be there."

"That little twerp," Gajeel huffed.

"Aww, are you jealous?" Margo asked with a laugh.

"No!"

"You so are!"

"I ain't jealous!"

"Is that so?" she asked with a knowing smirk, "What if Codi wasn't thirteen? What if he was a man that was flirting with me? Would you still deny your jealousy?"

"Why does it matter? We're not even dating?" he grumbled, crossing his arms.

Margo looked his way for a moment before getting up and moving in front of his seat. She placed her hands on either side of him on the armrests of the chair and pushed her face an inch from his, "Then what was last night?" she asked, not being able to hold back the smirk on her lips. Gajeel stared at her with surprised eyes, not expecting Margo to bring up what happened the night before, "I like you, Gajeel, so just let me know when you're ready to admit the same," she said, giving him a light peck on his nose.

Gajeel's eyes went wide, completely caught off guard by her confession. He couldn't say anything back to her though. He knew that he liked her too, but he was never a man for admitting his feelings. He'd rather show how he felt than say it out loud. Weren't his actions enough for her? Couldn't she understand what it meant for him to take the hit from Kaiden? Though, he also knew that she was just as stubborn as himself. He was sure that if he wanted to ever kiss her again, he would have to eventually admit how he felt to her; but that didn't mean he would give in so easily. He would keep on trying to have her accept his actions as his answer to her until one of them broke; and as if to test that theory, he leaned forward enough to kiss her.

She smiled widely and stopped him with her hand. Her fingers pushed back on his lips, "It won't be that easy," she laughed, "You'll have to try harder than that."

"Is that a challenge?" he asked with a low tone, his lips moving across her fingers.

"You can take it however you like," Margo smirked, lifting up from the chair, "But you won't win," she added as she began walking back towards the open doorway.

Before she could walk into the house, Gajeel was suddenly blocking the doorway. His entire body blocked her way, leaving her no open gaps to escape through. He stared down at her with intense, red eyes, standing at his full height as if he was trying to intimidate her. Even if Gajeel knew that she couldn't see him or that she would even care, he moved on pure instinct. His male ego and the dragon in him wouldn't let her walk away so easily from him after initiating a challenge like that.

"You move rather fast for someone who spends his days eating metal," Margo said, her smirk still playing at her lips.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" he asked, his voice deep, "I don't think you want to play this game."

"Oh, but I do," she answered, "I want to play this game very much."

Gajeel continued to stare at her, eyeing the smirk that wouldn't leave her lips. She knew exactly what she was doing and that sparked something deep within him. Most of the women he ever went after were submissive and didn't play along long enough for him to fully enjoy the game. It was quicker for him to reach his goal that way, but he couldn't say he always enjoyed it. Margo understood this game of chase, though. She would push and pull him along just like he planned to do to her. Gajeel knew that whoever won this game of theirs, it would be more than worth the wait.

"Gi Hee," he laughed lowly, leaning forward to talk into her ear, "Then we'll play," he said, knowing his breath would send shivers down her spine, even if Margo wouldn't outwardly show it. He knew her own pride wouldn't allow herself to give in so easily to him.

"Glad to hear it," she replied as she pushed him out of her way, "Now move. We have places to be."

Gajeel let her pass by, picking up on the subtle way she swayed her hips. His grin widened, knowing he was going to love this game thoroughly.

**. : + : .**

The trio were currently walking through town, heading back to Fairy Hills in order for Margo to get a shower and change into her own clothes. The two Dragon Slayers were talking about what kind of missions would be good for them to take when Margo picked up on two familiar voices.

"I swear, when I find that girl, I'm gonna kill her!" Aero grumbled loudly.

"Aero," Dante sighed, "This is Margo we're talking about. You really think she's gonna do something stupid?"

"She's probably with that iron freak!" Aero shouted, annoyed that his brother wasn't angrier about the situation.

"You're supposed to be giving Gajeel a chance," Dante retorted, "And you did promise Mira that you would leave them alone. Isn't that the whole reason you even got a date with her?"

"It's one thing for Margo to hang out with him, but staying out all night with him is another! She's supposed to be a lady!"

Dante snorted in laughter, "A lady? Have you even met our sister?"

"You know what I mean!"

"Still, Levy didn't seem all that worried about Margo when we went and spoke to her this morning," Dante said, "If Levy trusts Gajeel to take care of her, then so do I."

"That's only because you like Levy."

"No, it's because I trust Levy and what she thinks. She's probably smarter than you," Dante snapped, annoyed that his brother had him traveling through the whole town since dawn looking for Margo. If his sister was smart enough, she was probably hiding and sleeping in. He wanted to cry at the thought of not being in his own bed still, "You just assumed that Margo hooked up with the guy. And even if she did, that's her own decision. As Mira said, you're not gonna be able to control her every move."

Aero attempted to say something in retort, but nothing witty enough came to mind. Instead, he huffed and shoved his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket, "Whatever. I'm still gonna kill her for staying out all night like that and with a man too. Regardless if it was Gajeel or not."

As the two brothers continued to argue, Margo yanked Gajeel into a nearby alleyway with Zepplin following quickly.

"What are you doing?" he asked gruffly, "You'll have to face them some time."

"Yeah, but not when I'm in _your_ clothes," she hissed, "Aero's already pissed. He'll literally explode if he sees me like this."

"Why?"

"You really are a moron, ya know that?" she growled at him, "If he sees me in your clothes, he's gonna think something happened between us."

"I thought something did happen," he laughed.

"Don't get smart with me! You know what I mean!"

"All right, all right," Gajeel said, "Calm down. What do you plan on doing?"

"Ninja mode!" she announced, sinking further back into the alleyway and throwing the hood part of the sweater up over her head. She pulled the strings of the hood so only her eyes peered out of it.

"Not you too," Gajeel groaned, "Salamander already does that shit."

"Just shut up and follow me," Margo demanded as she jumped from the ground onto the roof of the building.

Gajeel rolled his eyes as he picked Zepplin up and followed her to the rooftops. He sat Zepplin down on his feet before the three of them took off running across the roof, making sure to keep silent as they passed over the arguing brothers. Unfortunately for the trio, Zepplin slipped on a loose shingle, sending it down to the ground. It landed between Aero and Dante, causing them to stop bickering and look up. Their eyes went wide upon seeing the frozen three-man team. Aero's eye began to twitch at seeing that Margo had in fact spent the night with Gajeel and was now wearing his clothes.

"MARGO! GAJEEL!" Aero shouted with fire exploding behind him, causing all the townspeople around them to back away in fear.

"We've been found out!" Margo yelled, taking off down the rooftops without waiting for Zepplin or Gajeel, "I would run if I were you!" she called back to the iron dragon.

Aero jumped up onto the roof to face down Gajeel, the Dragon Slayer jumping back in slight surprise, "What the fuck?!" Gajeel shouted.

"I'm gonna tear you apart!" Aero yelled, launching himself at Gajeel.

Before Aero could get close to Gajeel, Dante tackled him, "Run, stupid!" he growled at Gajeel.

Gajeel didn't wait around any longer as he took off running with Zepplin, following the direction that Margo had disappeared into. He eventually caught up with Margo, the hood now down and her hair flying behind her from her speed.

"What happened to 'ninja mode'?" he growled.

"That has ended," she answered, "It's now 'run like hell mode'."

"I thought you weren't scared of your brother," he said.

"I thought you weren't either, and yet, here you are, running."

"He looked crazy!"

"Exactly," she stated, "I'm not about to be caught up in that without proper clothes. Hopefully, Dante can calm him down some."

"Tch," he replied, "I'll just take him on at the guild."

"Good luck to you then," she said, giving his back a hard smack, "But it might be kinda hard with that shoulder of yours."

"It won't stop me," he grumbled.

The trio eventually made it to Fairy Hills, Margo disappearing into her room to shower and change. Gajeel waited outside, though, he stayed hidden for the time being. He didn't need any of the women questioning him and the fight that was sure to happen with Aero didn't need to happen at the women's dormitory. It was better left saved for the guild where people could watch him kick Aero's ass even with a wounded shoulder.

Soon enough, Margo came back out with Zepplin on her heels. She was dressed in her usual shorts, a solid, black tank top, her combat boots and her aviators. She threw her hair up in its usually messy pony tail, her hair still a little damp from her shower.

"Ready?" Gajeel asked, sniffing the air when she walked by him. He grinned when he could still smell a hint of himself on her mixed with her flowery forest scent.

"Yeah, let's get this over with," she sighed.

"Did you run into anyone in there?" he asked.

"No, so it looks like everyone is at the guild, minus Team Natsu," she answered.

"Good," he smirked, "Then I'll have a full house when I take your brother down."

"Just go easy on the poor guy," she smiled up at him, "He's only being a big brother after all."

"Yeah, but the idiot is assuming we had sex," Gajeel grumbled, "Not for one damn second does he think I can be a decent guy."

"That's just how Aero is," Margo replied, "But I would appreciate it if you got one good smack in for me. He's also assuming I'm that easy as well."

"No problem," Gajeel grinned widely while cracking his knuckles.

The two soon made it to the guild, hearing shouting going on inside. Margo didn't hesitate as she pushed the doors open and walked inside.

"Margo!" Aero shouted the instant he saw her. He flew from his spot at the bar and pushed his face right into hers.

"Back off!" she barked, shoving a hand into his face and pushing him away, "What's your problem?!"

Aero sputtered in anger for a moment before replying, "You know exactly what my problem is! You stayed the night at the metal freak's house!" he shouted, catching the entire guild's attention.

"So what?" she replied harshly, "It's none of your business that I was there."

"So you're not denying it?!" Aero asked, continuing to shout.

"Why should I? It's not like I did anything wrong," she stated. Aero opened his mouth to reply to her, but she quickly cut him off, "Look, I'm not in the mood for your attitude today, Aero. I have more important things to deal with."

"Excuse me?!" he yelled, his eyes going wide.

"If you have other complaints, you can take it up with him," Margo said, pointing behind her towards Gajeel.

"YOU!" Aero seethed, turning to the iron dragon.

Gajeel simply stared at the shouting man with his arms crossed. Honestly, did Aero expect Margo to stay away from boys all her life? The older brother would have to deal with letting his sister go at some point in time.

"This is all your fault!"

"It ain't my fault," Gajeel growled at him, "And we didn't even do anything. You really think I can't be a decent guy?"

"Yes, I do," Aero huffed in reply.

"So, you wanted me to kick your sister out of my house, in the forest, in the middle of the night?" Gajeel asked with a straight face.

"Well…I…uh…" Aero stuttered, having no rebuttal to the question. This caused several of the guild members to laugh at him.

"And here I thought you were a man," Gajeel smirked, "Guess I was wrong."

"Real men don't let women walk home alone in the dark!" both Elfman and Dante shouted.

"Shut up!" Aero hissed at them before he turned back to Gajeel, "You still owe me a staff," he growled at him before he turned to walk back towards the bar. He was about to take a seat next to Margo when she kicked his stool away from him and he fell to the floor, "What the hell was that for?!"

"For thinking I would be such an easy woman," Margo said simply, taking a drink of her beer.

Several more guild members laughed again as Aero righted his stool and sat down. He glared over at Gajeel, who took the seat on the other side of Margo, but kept his mouth shut otherwise. He still had his date with Mirajane that night and he didn't want to screw it up now.

Mirajane turned to them all with a bright smile, setting a plate of metal gears and a beer in front of Gajeel, "Just exactly how did you end up at Gajeel's house, Margo?"

Margo's eyes narrowed behind her sunglasses as she sat her mug down on the countertop. Her grip tightened around the handle, her knuckles turning white, "We had an incident," she answered lowly, "That's it," she added in a tone that meant no more was to be said on the subject. Margo knew she probably should have explained things more, but she didn't feel like bringing up the fight between her and Gajeel and Kaiden. She could handle Kaiden on her own. He was her problem. No one from the guild needed to be dragged into that mess. Gajeel already got hurt because of the blonde mage. Margo refused to see anyone else hurt.

"An incident?" Aero asked, quirking an eyebrow at his sister, "What the hell does-"

Mirajane threw a hand over Aero's mouth, forcing him to stop talking. She gave him a look that said to leave the subject alone. She could easily see how bothered both Margo and Gajeel were about the subject. Mirajane knew that whatever happened the night before wasn't good, but there was no use in trying to get information out of two people that didn't want to talk.

"Oi! Margo!" a young boy's voice cut through the air. Mirajane sighed in relief at the sudden appearance of Codi. The boy didn't know how perfect his timing was.

Margo forced herself to relax and plaster a smile on her face before turning to face Codi, "Hey! Little man!"

"Stop calling me that!" he snapped.

"I'm your teacher," she retorted, "I'll call you whatever I want."

"Tch," Codi replied, "You haven't even taught me anything yet."

"Lesson three," Margo said, bopping the boy on his head, "Don't back talk your teacher."

"Why do you have to hit?" he asked, rubbing the top of his head.

"Because it seems like that's the only way you're gonna learn," she answered before finishing off her beer, "Now, come on. Follow me."

"Where are we going?" he asked, following Margo towards the back of the guild.

"Outside where you can't blow holes in the wall," Margo said as she opened a door that led to the backside of the guild. It revealed a rather large open training area. It was the same area where she had her first fight with Gajeel when she had arrived at the guild. Both she and Codi stepped outside with most of the guild following them, wanting to see how the training session would go, "This is where you will be training most of the time."

Codi looked around with wide eyes, staring off towards the cliff's edge, "What if I fall over the cliff?"

"You won't fall off the cliff," Margo said with a flat stare.

"You don't know that! I don't like heights!"

"Lesson four: Face your fears with a strong heart," Margo said, placing her hand on top of his head, "I won't let you fall," she smiled softly down at him, "Now, take your shoes off."

"What?" Codi asked.

"You heard me," Margo laughed, taking her own combat boots off, "Take your shoes off."

"What is taking my shoes off gonna do?" he questioned, but still following orders and sliding his brown boots off.

"Until you learn how to feel sound, this is how we will train," Margo answered, walking out into the middle of the training area.

"You can't feel sound," Codi huffed as he followed her.

"Then you don't understand _any_ type of magic," Margo said, "You can't just expect to control your magic without feeling it and understanding it first. Natsu can feel fire. Gajeel can feel iron. Levy feels her magic when she writes it. Erza feels her magic when she summons it. Every mage in the world, no matter how weak or strong they are, can feel their magic. You understand?"

"I suppose," he answered, scratching the back of his head, "But I still don't understand how I'm supposed to feel sound."

"Attack me," Margo ordered.

"Huh?"

"Attack me," she repeated.

"But I –"

"Attack me!" she shouted.

Codi jumped at her loud voice before running at her with a fist. Margo easily dodged the attack, simply stepping to the side. This caused Codi to trip and fall from Margo's sudden movement.

"How did you know to move?" Codi asked, dusting himself off when he stood.

"I heard and felt you," she answered, "I can feel the vibrations of your movements in the ground. This will be the first way you learn to feel sound. You are not to put your shoes back on until you can do this. Not here at the guild and not at home either. Got it?"

"Yes," he sighed, knowing better to fight Margo on the subject.

"Good. Now, let's see how good you are at detecting the vibrations yourself," she said.

Codi didn't have time to question what she meant. Margo ran at him, pivoted on her heel and used the forward momentum to slam her elbow into his chest. Codi was sent flying backwards and slid across the dirt. He coughed roughly from the hit as he forced himself to sit up.

"Apparently, we have a long way to go," Margo smirked, appearing in front of him.

"You didn't even tell me you were gonna do that! How is that fair?!" he shouted up at her.

"An enemy isn't gonna give you the time to think about things," Margo answered in a hard tone, "You have to be ready for an attack at any moment."

"Still, you could have given me some kind of warning," he mumbled.

"I'm not gonna go easy on you just because you're a kid," Margo growled, "You said you wanted to be a mage and learn how to control your magic. This is the way you'll learn. It's never easy to learn any type of magic. You won't suddenly be able to do these amazing spells. It will literally take blood, sweat and tears. Unless you'd rather give up now."

"No! I want to be a mage!" Codi shouted.

"Then suck it up and take the hit like a man," she said before moving into another fighting stance, "Now, we're gonna do it again."

Codi sighed as he stood up and waited for Margo to attack him again.

"She's pretty harsh for a teacher," Dante said.

"Yes, but she's right in doing so," Makarov said, watching the training scene with a smile. It reminded him of his own training when he was a kid and the training he gave to his students, "Codi won't learn anything if she goes easy on him. It's better that he learns the world's harshness from Margo rather than an actual enemy. He'll be more prepared this way."

Everyone nodded in agreement as they turned back to watch the training session.

**. : + : .**

"Good job today, little man," Margo smirked, wiping away sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.

It was evening and the two had been training the entire day, only stopping to eat lunch when Mirajane had brought it out for them. By this time, most of the guild members had gone back inside or left for home. Gajeel, Zepplin, Levy and Dante were the only ones left watching the two. The latter two stayed out of pure interest and curiosity. Gajeel stayed out of enjoyment, finding it amusing every time Margo would hit the little twerp. Though, he gave the kid silent props for sticking it out so long and getting up after every hit.

"Make sure you get some sleep tonight and be back here tomorrow morning," Margo stated, beginning to walk back towards her boots.

"Are we doing this all over again?"

"Of course," Margo smirked widely.

Codi groaned, letting his upper body bend over in defeat, "I think I'm gonna die."

"You're not gonna die," Margo laughed, but it quickly faded. Her head snapped to the right as an unfamiliar scent hit her nose. Gajeel quickly sat up straight, smelling the same scent. Neither one of the Dragon Slayers liked the scent and it put them on guard. Dante and Levy frowned at Margo's and Gajeel's sudden reactions and the fact that Zepplin was growling deeply made them feel uneasy.

Before anyone could say or do anything, a gigantic man jumped down from the trees that circled the training area with his huge fists slamming down on the ground. If he were standing at his full height, he would have been taller than Dante. His muscles rippled under tan skin as he lifted his arms up and slammed them down on the ground again. This caused large vibrations to travel through the ground, almost like an earthquake. The Fairy Tail mages struggled to keep their balance when the large man did this.

"Who the hell are you?!" Dante shouted, quickly implementing his stone skin.

"He's from 'Fallen Angel'!" Gajeel shouted, pointing at a black stamp on the man's shoulder that looked like wings spread out with a serpent wrapped around them, "It's a dark guild!"

"Dante!" Levy shouted, "It's that guild we found out about during our research!"

"I know, but why is he here?!"

"Because of Kaiden," Margo growled lowly as she clenched her hands into fists.

The large man ignored the four talking mages and turned dark gray eyes on Codi, "You'll be the first to go," he announced in a deep voice.

Codi stared wide eyed at the man, too scared to move.

"Codi! Run!" Margo shouted.

The large man began running for Codi, bringing back a giant fist as he ran. Margo felt everything with her bare feet and she knew that if Codi was hit with an attack like that, he wouldn't make it.

"Dammit! Run already!" Margo screamed at the young mage, but she felt herself running towards him. She vaguely heard the others screaming her name, but she ignored them. She had to reach Codi first. She couldn't tell Nick that she wasn't able to protect him and she couldn't let Codi get hurt like this. She felt the larger man get closer, bringing his large fist down on the boy, "CODI!"

* * *

**A/N: **HAHA! A cliff hanger...next to a cliff too! See what I did there?! *snicker*

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and the next one will be up soon!

Please remember to review!

Yours Truly,

MyDearWatson


	24. A Wicked Message

**A/N: **BOOM! Another Chapter!

I was so excited about this chapter that I worked like crazy on getting it done ASAP! I'm sure you'll all enjoy the quick update! I also hope you all like the three Fallen Angel mages that are introduced in this chapter! It gets hard to come up with new powers, but I liked how they all turned out.

So...I was going to mention this in the last chapter, but I totally forgot after I had to write the author's note twice! . Stupid internet! Anyways...I've been thinking about writing another story for Fairy Tail...not surprising lol. But I've been reading a few of those fics where people create their own guilds and take characters from the reviewers; and now I want to eventually try making my own like that. I haven't fully decided if I'm going to do this or not, but if I do decide, I'll let you all know and you'd be more than welcome to enter in a character of your creation. It wouldn't happen for a while, considering 'Love Goes Boom' is my baby right now, plus I would also have to figure out a guild, when to implement it into the timeline and figuring out all the characters for it. But let me know if any of you would interested in a story like that and I'll see where it goes!

Phew! That was a lot! LOL!

I would like to thank Link, Savage Kill, Peace123, FreeHugs0009 and NameWithNoMeaning for their reviews!

Link - Yep! Darn the cliffies! But at least you didn't have to wait so long for the update! And yeah, Codi is going to have it hard when it comes to training, but like you said, he'll learn quicker that way. Glad you liked the chapter and I hope you enjoy this one!

Savage Kill - LOL! You're right to feel that way! And I'm glad that you like how Aero overreacts to everything. He's supposed to be a little more overprotective than Dante, so it's good to hear that he's turning out well. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Peace123 - I kept thinking about whether I should have someone hanging from the cliff or not, but it just worked out better how the last chapter ended. Thanks for the review! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

FreeHugs0009 - LOL! Yeah, those cliff hangers can be a doozey! As far as a lemon and such goes, it probably won't go that far. I normally stick with the T rating, plus I've never written one before and it probably wouldn't turn out all that well. More than likely you'll continue to get some heavier T scenes every now and then and hints that suggest towards a lemon scene. Hope that doesn't disappoint you. BUT! I'm glad that you loved the fluff scenes! I'm glad that those are turning out so well! And yeah, I usually feel like slapping Aero too, lol! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

NameWithNoMeaning - That cliff hanger seems to have gotten to everyone, lol! But at least it's a quick update so you don't have to wonder what happens! Hope you enjoy the chapter!

I don't own Fairy Tail!

Please enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 24: A Wicked Message**

"CODI!" Margo screamed, using her 'Speed of Sound' spell to move in front of the boy in time.

The giant fist came down on Margo instead, punching into her chest and stomach with a force that Margo thought only the old man could possess. The air was instantly knocked out of her and she even coughed out blood as she was hurled backwards. Her body slammed into Codi's, sending both of them over the cliff side.

"MARGO!" Dante shouted, trying to run towards the cliff.

"I don't think so," a female's voice said, chuckling lightly. She jumped down from the trees and stood in front of Dante, "You should be more worried about yourself," she added. She wore an apricot colored dress that ended at mid-thigh with brown, knee-high boots. Her wild, orange hair was pulled up into a high ponytail and her bangs swooped across bright green eyes. The Fallen Angel guild mark was in black as well and was placed on the back of her right shoulder. She also chewed on a piece of bright pink bubblegum.

"Who are you?" Dante growled at her.

"The name's Zoey and I'll be your opponent today," she grinned, popping her gum, "Though, it's such a shame that I'll have to kill such a handsome looking man," she said with a frown, "But I can't have you getting in Markus's way," she said, pointing towards the large man behind her, "Plus, I have orders."

"Orders?" Dante asked, "Orders from who?"

"My master of course," Zoey smiled, "It's time to bring down Fairy Tail."

"I'd like to see you try!" Dante shouted as he slammed his fist down on his hand, "Stone Make: Long Sword!" a huge sword made out of stone appeared in Dante's hands as he charged at her.

"Dante! Wait!" Levy shouted, "We don't know her magic!"

Dante ignored Levy's shouts as he made a swipe of his sword. Zoey easily dodged the attack with a smile still on her face. Dante continued to swing his sword at the orange haired woman, but he never managed to land a hit. She was faster than she appeared.

"Bubblegum Pop!" she laughed as she blew a huge bubble. It exploded and stuck all over Dante's right side. It caught his foot and the stone mage slammed down onto the ground. The rest of his body with the gum on it stuck to the ground, leaving him unable to move, "Looks like I've got you," she giggled, "Bubblegum Wrap!" she said and the gum on Dante began to wrap around him, starting at his feet, "The gum will wrap around you and suffocate you. I was really hoping for more of a fight from you," she frowned.

"Solid Script: Fire!" Levy shouted, sending a large amount of flames towards Zoey. The orange haired woman screamed and jumped away, not expecting the attack.

"How dare you!" Zoey shouted at Levy, "You almost scorched my dress!"

Levy scowled at the woman as she ran over to Dante's side.

"Don't touch it!" Dante yelled when he saw Levy reaching for the pink gum still wrapping around him. It had already made it up to his waist.

"But how am I supposed to stop it?!"

"Think! You can figure it out!"

Levy watched the gum for a moment longer, wishing Gray was there to freeze it, "That's it!" she said, snapping her fingers, "Solid Script: Freeze!" she shouted, sending the spell towards the gum. It instantly froze the pink substance and Dante easily broke out of it.

"That's not fair!" Zoey pouted, stomping her foot, "Bubblegum Explosion!" she shouted, sending out several bombs of the sticky substance.

"Stone Make: Dome!" Dante yelled, a large dome of stone shielding both him and Levy. The gum bombs hit the dome and splattered all over it, keeping the other two mages clean. Dante lowered the dome and glared at their enemy, "You'll have to try harder than that," he said lowly.

While that fight continued, Gajeel ran towards the cliff to find Margo and Codi with Zepplin running with him. He easily bypassed Markus, the large man being too slow for Gajeel. Before he could make it to the end of the cliff, another Fallen Angel mage jumped in front of him.

"You're mine," a man grinned widely, "The great 'Black Steel' Gajeel."

"Who the hell are you?!" Gajeel shouted, not at all interested in the man or how he knew him.

"I'm Icarus," he answered, running a hand through his messy black hair that reached the nape of his neck. His violet eyes glimmered in the sunlight. He wore no shirt, showing off the strong muscles in his chest and arms. His guild mark was also in black and stretched across his back. He wore tight, black jeans with black boots and a silver chain that looped down from his jeans pocket, "I've always wanted to go up against you."

"I don't have time for someone like you," Gajeel grunted.

"You won't be able to get to your girl without going through me first," Icarus stated with a smirk, "So it looks like I get my wish."

"Whatever!" Gajeel shouted, "Just bring it so I can kick your ass already!"

Gajeel sent out his iron club at the man, aiming to hit him in the face. When the club got near Icarus, he grabbed into it. His hand turned bright red and Gajeel's iron was suddenly melting. Gajeel hissed in pain, yanking his club backwards. When his hand was back to normal, Gajeel saw a burn mark on his wrist. He turned angry eyes on Icarus.

"It's called Melt Magic," Icarus answered the question in Gajeel's eyes, "You're the perfect opponent for me, what with all the metal you use. You basically have no chance against me. I will be your death," he announced, his eyes narrowing.

"You shouldn't underestimate me so soon," Gajeel growled, trying to think of a way to land a hit on the man. Gajeel wanted to turn his skin into iron, but he knew that was out of the question. If Icarus touched him in that state, it would easily kill him. He would have to fight this guy with his regular skin.

"You can't win against me," Icarus smirked, "You have two choices. You'll either die by my hands or you can join us."

"Fuck you!" Gajeel shouted, "Iron Dragon's Lance: Demon Logs!"

Gajeel sent out several large spears of iron, all of them aimed at Icarus. The Fallen Angel mage's entire body turned bright red, melting the spears when they neared him.

"I told you, you can't win," Icarus said, his body turning back to its normal color.

"Fuck!" Gajeel cursed again, trying to think of anything to hit the mage with. Then there was the fact that he still didn't know what happened to Margo and Codi. He didn't have time to think about much when Icarus started walking towards him.

While the fights were going on, Margo had managed to grab onto a ledge that jutted out from the cliff side. Codi had somehow grabbed onto Margo's ankle and was now hanging onto it for dear life.

"Stop moving around so much!" Margo shouted to the younger boy. She was afraid of not being able to hold onto the ledge if he kept on moving. If she lost her grip, then both of them would plummet down to the rocks and water below them.

"I told you I hate heights!" Codi shouted back at her, both of his hands gripping onto her ankle, "I knew I shouldn't have let you train me next to a cliff!"

"That's the least of our problems right now!" she growled. She didn't know how high up the ledge was, but she was sure it was too high for her to reach out for it from their current position. She couldn't feel the side of the cliff with her free foot, so she assumed that they must have been far enough down the cliff where it curves inwards to create the high wall of the cliff. She was afraid to try to climb up herself since it would probably knock Codi off of her, "Dammit!" she shouted. Why hadn't anyone pulled them up yet? It was only one man and there was three of them plus Zepplin. What was taking them so damn long? Her arms were starting to shake and lose power from just hanging there with the extra weight of Codi on her foot. Then there was also the fact that she was still trying to recover from the hit she had received from the large man. It hurt every time she breathed in, so that most likely meant a rib or two had been cracked.

"Margo! I'm scared!" Codi called up to her.

"I know…I know, Codi," she answered, "But I told you that you wouldn't fall, didn't I?"

"Yeah."

"Then I won't let you fall," Margo stated, "Just look up at me, all right?"

"All right," Codi said, looking up at Margo.

'What the hell am I supposed to do?' Margo thought.

Before she could answer her own question, a loud rumbling through the ground caught her attention. Codi heard it as well and his eyes went wide when he saw Markus leaning over the edge of the cliff.

"So you're both still alive?" the large man asked.

"Of course, you damn moron," Margo hissed, "It'll take more than a little punch to stop us!"

"Margo, don't piss him off," Codi whispered harshly.

"I don't care!"

"Well I do! We're hanging from a side of a cliff! He has the advantage!"

Markus watched the two for a moment longer before raising his fists high into the air and slamming them on the ground. Margo's eyes went wide once she realized what the man was doing. He was going to crush the cliff into pieces and send them into the water. One of her hands slipped from the ledge she was grasping from the force of the man's slamming fists.

"Margo!" Codi shouted.

"Stop it!" Margo yelled up at the man, "You idiot! You're just gonna make yourself fall with us!"

Markus continued to ignore Margo and slammed his fists down again. The cliff began to crack and Margo knew that it wouldn't hold up through another hit. She swung the leg that Codi was grasping up to where she could grab the back of his shirt with her free hand.

"Let go of me!" she demanded, the boy listening to her, "Now, I'm gonna throw you up! Use that uncontrolled power of yours if that big guy tries to grab you!"

"What about you?!"

"Don't worry about me. Just worry about getting onto solid ground!"

"But Margo!"

"What did I tell you about back talking?!"

Codi sighed, but he stayed silent. Margo then launched him upwards just as Markus brought his fists down for a third time. It all seemed to happen in slow motion. Codi made it up and over Markus, sending out a large blast of sound at the man. This caused Markus to go flying off the cliff, hurling him towards the water. Markus's last hit to the cliff exploded it into pieces and Margo was forced to let go of the ledge she had been grasping. Codi and the others called out for her while Zepplin howled loudly. Margo pushed herself off of a large piece of the broken cliff, hoping that it would be enough to force her passed the rocks below her. She curved her body backwards into a graceful arc as she fell through the air. She let herself fall, waiting for the impact of water. She could smell the water getting closer, but the drop into it never came. Instead, she was grasped by a strong arm around her waist and pulled in tightly next to a solid body.

"Since when do you free fall?"

"Aero?!" she shouted.

"The one and only," he smirked as he revved his engine to his Wave Runner motorcycle.

"Oh God!" Margo groaned, throwing a hand over her mouth. Her face instantly turned green when she realized that she was being transported by the machine.

"Don't throw up on me!" Aero shouted.

"Then you better make it to land fast!"

"You're always such a troublesome pain in my ass," he grumbled, but still tightened his hold on her.

"Shove it!" she hissed before gagging again.

The two quickly made it to land, Margo running a few feet away to throw up. When she was finished, she turned back to her brother only to feel two people standing in front of her.

"Margo!" Mirajane exclaimed, "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered, taking in a deep breath. Her chest still hurt from her earlier hit, but she ignored the pain for now, "What the hell are you two doing here though?"

"We were on our date," Aero answered with a blush, "We were taking a walk on the beach when we saw you and Codi hanging from the side of the cliff. What's going on?"

"I don't know," Margo replied, "Some guy appeared and attacked us, but we do know that he's from Fallen Angel. They're a dark guild. The man told Codi he was the first to go, so I'm assuming that means the guild is out for blood."

"Who was the man that attacked you?" Mirajane asked.

Sudden, large vibrations from the ground interrupted them. They all turned to face Markus, who was now standing a few feet from them.

"Uh…that guy," Margo said.

"Holy shit! He's a beast!" Aero shouted.

"As I should be," Markus said lowly, "I use Amplifying Magic. It increases muscle mass, the size of the body and body strength."

"So basically you're a moving rock?" Margo asked, sweat dropping at her own question.

"More or less," he answered. He moved to punch the three mages, his fist large enough to be able to hit all of them at once; but a smooth voice stopped him.

"That's enough, Markus. I think Sugar-chan has had enough roughing up for one day," Kaiden announced, appearing from behind Markus.

"Kaiden!" Margo shouted.

"Always a pleasure to see you, Margo," Kaiden smiled, "I hope that beast of a man you hang around is doing well. I did cut into him pretty deeply."

"You stay away from Gajeel!" Margo continued to shout.

Realization dawned over Mirajane and Aero. Both of them had seen the bandages under Gajeel's clothes and both had wondered what had happened. Mirajane knew it had to do with whatever happened the night before, but she had no idea that Kaiden had been the one to attack the iron dragon.

"I'll do as I please," Kaiden stated.

"Then fight me!" Margo growled.

"Not today, Margo," he frowned, "I wish you weren't in such a rush to fight me. The next time we fight, I will mean to kill you. I'll be your reaper, Margo. There's a reason they call me the 'Grim Reaper'."

"That's not something to be proud of!" she hissed.

"Well, it's my name and I have to live up to it, but I'll pass judgment on you for today," he said, "I'm only here to send a message from my master."

"We trusted you!" Aero shouted, moving to punch Kaiden in the jaw.

Kaiden quickly pulled his cane from his belt and held the sharp end of it at Aero's throat, "That was a mistake on your end," he stated, "And come any closer and I won't hesitate to shove this in your throat and drain you of all your blood."

Aero visibly gulped and was quickly yanked backwards by Mirajane, "What's your master's message?" she asked, glaring at the blonde mage. She could feel her magic burning under her skin, wanting nothing more than to make an appearance and rip the man in front of her apart for threatening her family. Though, Mirajane knew that they needed whatever message Kaiden carried, so she managed to keep her magic at bay.

"She wants your master to know that Fairy Tail will fall. Every single member will be eradicated," Kaiden answered, "And it's all his own doing. He denied the Lestat family entry into the Fairy Tail guild and now he must face the consequences of that choice. Today was only a show of what was to come. Blood will rain down in Magnolia soon."

"That won't happen, Kaiden," Margo said lowly.

"We'll see about that."

"So this is what you've chosen?" Margo asked, "You've chosen to be part of massacre and murder? I hope you hate what you've become, Kaiden, because I wholly detest it. You really are a monster."

Kaiden stood there in silence, frowning at Margo's words. Whenever she spoke like that, it really did get underneath his skin. She was his first love and he hadn't stopped loving her since their separation. He did hate what he had become, but he didn't regret it. He had become part of Fallen Angel for a reason.

"Yes, this is what I've chosen," Kaiden answered quietly, "But I have my reasons for it."

"Well that just makes it all better, doesn't it?" Margo snapped, "I'm a murderer, but it's all right, I have a reason for it."

"Shut up!" Kaiden shouted, surprising Margo, "Don't speak of things that you don't understand. I have my reasons for being a part of this guild and that's all you need to know," he said, "We must go, Markus," he said to the large man as he slipped his cane back into his belt. He turned along with Markus, the two heading away from the beach.

"You can't leave!" Margo shouted, "I'm fighting you!" she added, moving into a fighting stance. When she moved, Margo flinched in pain and held her chest.

Kaiden stopped walking for a moment and peered over his shoulder to look at her, "I will not fight you like this, Margo," he said lowly, "But I won't be so merciful the next time we meet," and with that, both Kaiden and Markus disappeared in a wisp of dark wings.

"Dammit!" Margo shouted, "He got away again!"

"Let's go back to the guild," Mirajane said, setting a gentle hand on Margo's shoulder, "We have to relay the message to the master."

"All right," Margo sighed, letting Mirajane and Aero push her back towards the guild.

**. : + : .**

"Looks like your girl is a lucky one," Icarus smirked, looking from the ocean back to Gajeel, "But I'm sure that Markus will catch her still."

"You really shouldn't underestimate any of us," Gajeel growled.

"Yeah? How do you plan to beat me when you can't even touch me with your magic?" Icarus asked.

"I don't need magic to kick your ass," Gajeel retorted, running at the man with a closed fist. He brought his fist down, Icarus moving fast enough to catch it. Gajeel brought his other fist forward, the Fallen Angel mage catching that one as well. Icarus's hands lit up in bright red, burning Gajeel's fist. Gajeel shouted in anger and pushed forward, causing Icarus to slide backwards. The iron dragon kept on pushing through the burning, launching the man backwards towards the edge of the cliff. Gajeel pulled back from him after his last push. His fingerless gloves were mostly gone from the high temperature and the skin under them had burn marks. He watched Icarus teeter on the edge of the cliff with furious eyes. Just as he was about to send another punch to make him fall, Zoey got in the way.

"Bubblegum Extension!" she shouted, sending out a rope made out of the gum towards Icarus. It stuck to his chest and she pulled him forward. He flew passed Gajeel and landed on his feet next to Zoey. She unstuck her gum with a smirk, the two still ready for a fight.

"What is going on out here?!" Makarov bellowed as he flew out of the guild hall. The people that had stayed at the guild for the evening quickly followed him. He stared down the two Fallen Angel mages with heated eyes, "Who are you two?!"

"We came to take down your guild," Zoey answered with a smirk, popping her gum loudly.

"WHAT?!" the entire guild responded with.

"You will not touch this guild!" Makarov shouted, turning into his larger size.

"I find that hard to believe when you can't even take down the two of us," Zoey smiled, "But it seems that it's time for us to go. We'll meet again soon though," she said, her smile growing wider and giving the guild a peace sign before both her and Icarus disappeared in a swoop of black wings.

"What the hell just happened?" Droy growled.

"She can't seriously think that they can take down our guild!" Jet shouted.

"I think they're very serious," Dante stated, finally releasing his stone skin. He looked down to Levy who was still standing next to him, "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered, "But I'm really worried about Mar-chan."

"I'm all right," Margo announced as she made her way towards the crowd with Aero and Mirajane.

"Mar-chan!" Levy shouted, rushing over to the woman and squeezing her in a hug. Margo hissed in pain and jerked away from the smaller girl, "I'm sorry!" Levy cried.

"It's okay," Margo replied, holding her chest in hopes that it would help diminish the pain. Soon, a mess of brown hair and a pair of guilty, hazel eyes appeared in front of Margo. Margo peered down at the boy, waiting for him to speak.

"I'm sorry," Codi spoke quietly, "I caused you trouble."

"Damn right!" Margo shouted, bopping him on the head, "Next time when I tell you to run, you better run!" she growled and bopped him again before pulling him into a tight hug, "But I'm glad to see you're all right."

Codi was caught off guard by her sudden change, but hugged her back nonetheless.

"So what exactly happened out here?" Cana asked.

"We were attacked by Fallen Angel," Gajeel grunted, pulling off his burnt gloves, "It's a dark guild," he added.

"But why would they attack us?" Cana pushed.

"We actually have a message from Kaiden," Mirajane frowned.

The guild began whispering about hearing Kaiden's name connected with a dark guild. Makarov quickly silenced everyone with a putting a single hand up and motioned for Mirajane to continue.

"He had a message from his master," she began, "She said that Fairy Tail will fall and every member will be killed. She said it's your own doing for denying the Lestat family into the guild and now you must suffer the consequences. Today was only a show of what is to come. Blood will soon rain down in Magnolia."

An eerie silence passed through the entire guild. Makarov returned to his normal size with a shocked expression on his face, "The Lestat family?" he repeated.

"Yes," Mirajane answered, "Do you know that family, master?"

"Yes," he said, staring off into space for a moment as if he was remembering something, "Yes, I do. This is very bad."

"What do you mean?" Dante asked, "Who is the Lestat family?"

"A long time ago there was a man named Henry Lestat," Makarov explained, "He was a mage and a very good one, but I refused to let him into Fairy Tail. Something wasn't right about the man. There was something dark in him and he hid it well. I was afraid of that darkness spreading through the guild, so I told him that I could not let him into the guild. He disappeared after that. I kept tabs on him the best I could and the last I heard, he had passed away."

"But Kaiden said the message was from a woman," Aero stated, "How is Fallen Angel tied with this Lestat guy if the message is from a woman?"

"He had a daughter," Makarov answered.

"So what?" Aero asked, "He planted his revenge plans into his daughter's head? That's just messed up!"

"Yes it is," Makarov frowned deeply, "But if the darkness that I sensed in Henry truly existed, then it wouldn't be surprising for him to do something like that," he explained, "We must keep our guard up at this time. We don't know when they'll attack again."

"What about Team Natsu?" Jet asked, "Shouldn't they be here to protect the guild?"

"They have to finish the mission that they're on. That is just as important at the moment," Makarov answered, "I will try to contact Gildarts and Mystogan in the meantime, though," he added, turning back towards the guild with a visible weight on his shoulders.

"Old man!" Margo called out, causing Makarov to stop briefly, "Fallen Angel won't win. I promise. This isn't your fault."

Makarov was quiet for a moment before he began walking again, "Just as Kaiden isn't your fault, my brat."

Margo stayed silent as Makarov disappeared back into the guild. Her attention was suddenly pulled away from the old man when she felt a presence in front of her. She whipped her head around to feel Gajeel standing in front of her.

"Are you all right?" he asked, looking her over himself.

"I'm fine," she answered, still holding her chest, "But what about you?" she asked, reaching out towards his hands when she smelled the burned skin of his hands and wrist.

"It's nothing I can't handle," Gajeel said, pulling his hands away before she touched the raw skin.

"Well, both of you could do with some medical attention," Mirajane stated, leaving no room for argument from either Dragon Slayer, "Let's go inside. I'll help you both. And Margo," she said, turning fully towards the sound dragon, "I would appreciate it if you would tell us everything about Kaiden."

"What?!" Margo shouted.

"I know it's hard to talk about for you," Mirajane explained, "But we now know for sure that he is the enemy. It will help us greatly if we know more about him and any hints he may have dropped to you about Fallen Angel in the past."

Margo bit her lip in nervousness as she contemplated Mirajane's request. She didn't want to talk about her past with Kaiden, but then she got a whiff of Gajeel's burnt skin again. She didn't want any more of her guild members to get hurt. She wouldn't be able to stand it. If she could shed some light on Fallen Angel and what Kaiden can do to help the guild, then Margo supposed that she would have to suck it up and talk about her past, "All right," Margo whispered, "I'll tell you."

"Thank you," Mirajane said with a sad smile, "Now, let's get you fixed up."

Everyone began walking back into the guild with a heavy, tension filled air around them. Gajeel stayed close to Margo, his protective instincts on high alert. He frowned seeing the worried look on her face and he gently brushed up against her in hopes that it would help calm her down some. Margo looked up to him with a smile, but Gajeel could see that it was forced. He inwardly cursed, wishing he could help her carry this burden of hers; but it was her own past and there was nothing he could do to change it. He just hoped that Mirajane knew what she was doing by asking Margo to share it. And he hoped Margo's past would be enough to bring down Fallen Angel.

* * *

**A/N: **Well, there you go! Hope you all enjoyed it! I'll have the next one up soon!

Please remember to review!

Yours Truly,

MyDearWatson


	25. Scars of the Past

**A/N: **And another chapter down!

So this one took me some time. I needed to step back from the story for a few days to fully figure out how I wanted this chapter to go and what I wanted the next few chapters to be like. I think this one turned out pretty well. I've been wanting to write this chapter for a long time since it's Margo's and Kaiden's past, so I hope you all enjoy it.

And I was kind of distracted with the premier of 'Legend of Korra' and 'Sleepy Hollow'.

I would like to thank Link, Savage Kill and a Guest for their reviews!

Link - Glad to hear that you like the possible idea of an 'Original Guild' fic! I have a few ideas swimming around in my head because I still want to include the cannon characters in it as well. So I kind of have my guild placed in the fic and the time period figured out so far, but still, I'm wanting to get through 'Love Goes Boom' (cough cough and a possible sequel for it cough cough) LOL! And I'm glad that you enjoyed the last chapter and all the action that was in it. LOL! And I'll try to refrain from the cliff hangers, but I make no promises! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Savage Kill - Yep! This is the big revealing of their past, so I really hope you enjoy it! It'll explain more on why Kaiden is the way he is. Hope you enjoy the chapter!

Guest - Thank you very much for the compliment! ^.^ Glad to hear that you're enjoying the story so much! Please enjoy this chapter!

I don't own Fairy Tail!

Please enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 25: Scars of the Past**

The guild settled into their seats, patiently waiting for Margo to start her story. Mirajane refused to let her start until she had at least bandaged her chest. She took Margo behind the bar and had her stand with her back facing the rest of the guild. Mirajane gently pushed her down onto a small stool and helped her lift her tank top up. Mirajane gasped when she saw the long scar reaching from her right shoulder blade to her left hip. Aero easily pushed Mirajane out of the way so both he and Dante could see what she was staring at. Everyone either gasped or their eyes went wide upon seeing the scar, surprised that the Dragon Slayer would have one.

"What happened?" Mirajane asked, running gentle fingers over the scar.

"It's from Kaiden," Margo answered lowly, hearing whispering begin to spread through the guild, "But it'll be explained soon enough," she added, her head hanging low with her bangs covering her face.

"Enough staring," Gajeel grunted, moving to stand in front of Margo. He shielded her while he glared out at the guild, causing the whispering to stop instantly.

Mirajane smiled softly at Gajeel's actions, looking over at Aero and Dante to see a newfound respect begin to settle in for the iron dragon. She then moved to stand in front of Margo and began her work on helping her from the earlier attack. She applied a cream to Margo's skin, which she explained had magical properties to help heal her faster. She then made quick work of wrapping her chest in white gauze. Mirajane helped her get her tank top back on and then Margo walked out from behind the bar, taking a seat at one of the stools at the bar.

"Please tell us your story, Margo," Mirajane pushed gently, pulling out some burn cream to put on Gajeel's hands and wrist.

Elfman sat a beer in front of Margo, figuring she would need it. Margo hung her head, her eyes turned towards the liquid under her. She grabbed onto the handle of the mug tightly, not caring if people could see her knuckles turn white. She slowly lifted it to her lips and took three large gulps of the beer before setting it back down on the table. Even drinking seemed to hurt her at the moment, but she pushed through the pain as she took a deep breath before she started her story.

"As cliché as it sounds, Kaiden started off as a good person," Margo began, her attention on the bar counter in front of her. She couldn't face anyone as she remembered her past with Kaiden. She let the memories come forth on their own and she spoke her memories on instinct, "We met in the town of Dahlia. I was fourteen and he was sixteen. We were both lonely kids with no place or family to go to. He was the first person to take me as I am. He didn't give me sympathy or hard time for being blind. He didn't think less of me for it and he didn't look down on me for being homeless. He was the one that actually insisted that we team up and play music together since it was our only means of income at the time. And he was the one that bought me my first pair of sunglasses. He said they would make me look cool," she smiled at the memory, "I couldn't say no to the gift. Every kid wants to be cool, ya know? So I took them. It was the first time anyone had ever given me anything since Philomela had left. I was really happy that day. I had been angry for so long that I almost forgot what it felt like to be happy. Kaiden was the one that brought that feeling back to me, so I decided to continue to travel with him. I mean, if the boy could give me happiness, I had to know what other feelings he could give me. I suppose that was a bad decision in retrospect," she sighed, taking another drink of her beer, "I eventually told Kaiden that I was a Dragon Slayer and he believed me. He had been the first one that didn't question my magic or my background with Philomela. He simply smiled and hoped that he would find his magic one day so we could both join a guild. Everything was perfect for almost a year. We always had each other and enough money to get by. He was sweet and playful and protective and he always looked out for Zepplin and I. But then…he found his magic…" Margo drifted off as her memories hit her full force. She continued to speak to the guild, but Margo knew she wasn't truly there at the guild; not while her memories were being released from the dark chest she kept locked tightly in her mind.

**. : + : .**

"_Sugar-chan!" Kaiden shouted, running towards her. Margo turned towards the now blonde seventeen year old. He had left that morning to head out towards the nearby forest in hopes of finding a magic to use. Margo knew that he was determined to use magic. He so badly wished to be on the same level as her so they could finally join a guild together. Kaiden ran right up to her in the middle of the street. They had stopped in a town in hopes of making some more money with their music. He hovered over Margo, the teenager having gone through a large growth spurt over the past few months. He smiled widely as he started talking again, "I did my first spell today! Maybe we can both join a guild now!"_

"_Really?!" Margo grinned widely as well. Zepplin sat next to her, staring up at the blonde with what looked like a smile of his own._

"_Yeah," Kaiden answered, "I figured it out in the forest just a moment ago!"_

"_That's great!" Margo said, "So what can you do? What kind of magic is it?"_

"_Blood Magic!" he announced loudly, alerting some of the townspeople around them. The townspeople stared worriedly at the pair and visibly took a step away from them._

_Margo's smile fell quickly, feeling the people around them move away. Her brows furrowed as she turned her attention back on Kaiden, "Blood Magic?" she asked in a hushed voice, "What's that?"_

"_I can control my own blood," Kaiden explained, not seeming to notice Margo's worry yet, "And maybe if I get strong enough I can control other people's blood."_

"_How did you find out you can do this?" she asked._

"_Well, like I said, I was in the forest," he began, "And I was getting really frustrated because nothing was coming to me. I turned to leave and come back here when I tripped over a tree root. I fell and cut my hand on a sharp stone. I started bleeding and then suddenly the blood was rising in the air. I was surprised, thinking that something else was controlling the blood, but then I threw my hand to the side and it moved with it. I kept on moving my hand for a few minutes and wherever my hand moved so did the blood. I couldn't keep it up much longer than that, but I have magic! Isn't it awesome, Margo?!"_

"_Yeah," Margo answered, letting her worried face disappear for now. Kaiden was excited about his magic and she didn't want to be the one to ruin it for him. She was concerned about his type of magic, mostly because she didn't understand it. She didn't know how it would affect him. What if he used too much blood? Could he pull it back into his body? Would he be able to control himself up against an enemy? Would he stop himself from pulling out too much of their blood before he killed them? These were all the questions that were swirling around her head, but she kept them to herself for now. Then she supposed that if they trained together, she could make sure that he wouldn't ever hurt someone with a magic like that. She smiled at that thought, her worry suddenly gone, "Yeah, it is awesome! We can really join a guild now!"_

"_We need to start looking for a good one and then we can make some real money," he smiled, "We won't have to split meals anymore and we won't have to sleep outside anymore. We can finally have the life we dreamed of and we can do it together!"_

"_It sounds great, Kaiden!" Margo grinned, laughing when he brought her in for a tight hug._

"_I told you I would protect you and take care of you," he said, "And now I can really do that in a guild."_

"_Yes, you can," Margo replied, "But remember, I can take care of myself too. We can fight together, not just on your own," she said, placing her hand in his. Her frown quickly returned when she felt the slick liquid on his hand and the scent of blood suddenly hit her nose. She didn't like the smell of it on Kaiden. It wasn't what he was supposed to smell like, but suddenly, that was the only scent he carried. Something about it didn't sit well in her stomach and she almost lurched forward to puke. The only thing that kept her in place was Kaiden's clean hand._

"_Sorry about that," Kaiden said, letting her go and pulling a handkerchief from his pocket. He quickly wiped her hand clean of the red liquid, but Margo could still smell the blood on her fingers. She was sure she would be washing her hands multiple times that night. He then wiped his hand off the best he could before he wrapped the cloth around the cut, "I don't know how to keep myself from bleeding yet, obviously. Guess we should stock up on some medical supplies until I can get this magic figured out," he laughed._

"_I guess so," Margo said, still feeling uneasy about everything. She let Kaiden drag her towards the closest general store to buy the supplies they would need and listened to him talk excitedly about his new magic; but deep in her heart and the pit of her stomach, Margo knew that eventually something terrible would happen with a magic like that._

_**. : + : .**_

_It had been five months since Kaiden had gained his magical abilities and he had been training everyday during this time period. He and Margo continued to travel to different towns and cities and make money with their music. They searched for guilds along the way, but nothing had interested them very much. Some of the guilds didn't believe that Margo was a Dragon Slayer, which Margo was used to; but Kaiden never took well to their badmouthing her magic. He had been working on building his muscle and fighting abilities, which Margo helped him out with most of the time. He would beat up anyone that laughed at her, his anger seeming to get the better of him recently. Normally, Margo would be the one with the short temper and Kaiden would be the laidback one who would laugh the name calling off. Something seemed to have shifted when he got his powers. Even if he was protecting her and standing up for her, Margo didn't like the unnecessary fights that Kaiden started. She blamed the Blood Magic for leaving him so tired all the time, so she put up with his new temper._

_If they weren't denied for the guild's disbelief in Margo's magic, then they would be turned away for Kaiden being such a new mage. It seemed that some of the guilds didn't want to take the time to teach such a newbie, which was ridiculous. Margo highly doubted that anyone else had Kaiden's abilities, so it wasn't like they would be able to teach him anyways. He could have trained himself at the guild before beginning missions. Margo figured that it was more like the guilds didn't want to take in two teenagers and a dog and have to take care of them. Whatever the reason was that the guilds wouldn't take them, Margo was annoyed. They could do great things if someone just gave them a chance. Instead, they were still stuck traveling from town to town and sleeping in the forests in between towns. Just like they had to do that night and Margo frowned at that thought._

"_Hey now," Kaiden said, pulling Margo from her thoughts. She turned her head up towards him. She sat against a large tree trunk with Zepplin next to her. Kaiden was standing above her as he finished wrapping his hand after their training session. Kaiden was slowly getting better at keeping his blood in his hands before he unleashed it for an attack, but after using so much magic during training, his cuts still bled at the end of the day and he would have to wrap his hands. He was aiming to one day be able to not have to worry about bleeding all over the place. He leaned down to her level after he finished with the wrapping. He wore a warm smile as he stared into her dull eyes, Margo having taken her sunglasses off for the day. Even if they were dull, Kaiden could still see the gold in them and he loved the color, "No frowning on your birthday," he said, bopping his index finger against her nose._

_Margo waved his hand away from her, "Some birthday, being stuck out here in the middle of nowhere," she huffed. It was July 15__th__ and her sixteenth birthday and she was stuck in the middle of a forest._

"_Aww," Kaiden replied, "Don't be like that, especially when I have a surprise for you, my Sugar-chan," he grinned as he kissed her forehead._

_Margo blushed, still feeling like a silly school girl when Kaiden kissed her. They had been dating for three months now. It wasn't a surprise to Margo when Kaiden had kissed her that first time. Considering the amount of time they spent together, she was expecting it to happen. She liked him a lot. He had accepted her so easily and he made her laugh and he was so sweet to her that she couldn't help but fall for him. Though, she did have to admit that the month leading up to their first kiss, she felt like he was really sweeping her off of her feet. The way he would stand closer to her, the way his voice lowered when he spoke to her, the small touches he gave her, it all added up to a feeling that knocked her off of her feet. Though, she always laughed when she thought of their first kiss. A few guys were hitting on her one day when Kaiden had stepped inside a store to buy some more medical supplies. She sat on a park bench to wait for him, enjoying the sound of the town and the sun on her skin. The group of boys had suddenly appeared in front of her, telling her how cute she was and how they could show her a good time. Before she should punch them in the face and make them disappear, Kaiden appeared out of nowhere. He roughly pushed through the group of boys, pulled her up off the bench and against him and crushed his lips against hers. After a few moments of his lips against hers, Kaiden broke the kiss and sent a glare towards the other boys. The boys quickly left, not wanting to mess with the pair. Margo had smacked him upside the head for the blatant display of male egotism, but then pulled him in for another kiss. They had been dating since then._

"_What surprise?" she asked, now curious._

"_I'll show you if you promise to smile for me," he said._

"_Cheater," Margo huffed, puffing out her cheeks in a pout._

"_Well, do you want the surprise or not?" he asked._

"_Yeeeeeeeeesssss!" Margo whined._

"_Then smile for me," he replied._

"_Fine," she said before sending him the biggest, cheesiest grin she could muster, "How was that?"_

"_And you call me the cheater," he laughed._

"_You never said what kind of smile it had to be," she said, trying to keep a straight face, but failing miserably. His laugh had this way of getting under her skin and making her laugh in return. She began chuckling, revealing a true smile in the process._

"_There's my smile," he said softly, pressing a hand under her chin. He pulled her forward and gave her a warm and loving kiss, "Give me a second to go grab it," he said as he stood up and moved towards their traveling bags. He dug through them, pulling out a solid, white box that was large enough to hold a cake. He walked back to Margo and sat down in front of her, his legs on either side of her to trap her between himself and the tree, "Happy birthday, Margo," he grinned, pushing the box into her hands._

_Margo quirked an eyebrow at him before lifting the lid of the box. She instantly smelled the sweet scent of milk chocolate and her mouth began to water. In the box was a solid chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and it smelled fresh, "Kaiden…how did you afford this? And when did you get it?"_

"_I got it yesterday right before we left the town," he answered, "I know how much you like sweets and you said you've never had a cake on your birthday, so I went to the best bakery in town and bought one. Don't worry how I afforded it either," he said, poking her in the forehead, "That's not something I want you thinking about. I just want you to enjoy the cake."_

"_Thank you, Kaiden," Margo said quietly, tears beginning to well up at the corners of her eyes._

"_No crying on your birthday either," he said, wiping away the unshed tears with his thumbs. Margo nodded at him as she swiped a finger across the top of the cake. She had a large scoop of chocolate frosting on her finger and quickly ate it. Just as she was about to dive in for another taste, Kaiden stopped her, "Don't do that. It'll ruin the cake."_

"_It's my cake and I'll do what I please with it," she smirked, swiping another scoop of frosting on her finger. Kaiden frowned at her for a moment, thinking she was going to eat the frosting again. Instead, she wiped the frosting across his face. His eyes went wide for a moment, not expecting her action at all. Margo laughed loudly, knowing he had to have a large stripe of frosting across his face, "I got you!"_

"_I'll show you!" he finally retorted, sticking his own finger into the frosting and smudging it across both cheeks._

"_Hey!"_

"_You started it!"_

_Margo narrowed her eyes at him before a wicked smirk crossed her face. She swiped her whole hand across the top of the cake before setting it out of the way. She then tackled Kaiden to the ground and pushed her hand into his face. The wrestling match caused Zepplin to get up and move out of the way. The hound made his way deeper into the forest, wanting to get some peace for the night since he knew he wouldn't be getting any with the pair around._

"_Margo!" Kaiden shouted, trying to push the girl off of him. More and more chocolate spread across his face and Margo could only laugh at it. Eventually, Kaiden thought of a way to get her to stop. He licked up her hand, tasting the frosting along the way. Though, it did have the desired affect that he wanted. Margo instantly froze, face turned down towards him with surprised eyes._

"_What the hell?" she grumbled, "You licked my hand!"_

"_So?" Kaiden smirked._

"_So?! You licked my hand!" she repeated._

_Kaiden's smirk grew as he took advantage of Margo's surprise. He flipped them over so he could stare down at her, "It's no different than me kissing you," he said, moving a stand of hair away from her face that had gotten stuck in the frosting on her cheeks._

"_It's totally different," she argued._

"_Is it?" he asked, leaning down further to kiss her. Both of them could taste the chocolate that covered them and feel the softness of the other's lips. Kaiden suddenly felt himself pushing against her lips harder than he normally would, a heat igniting in the pit of his stomach. He suddenly couldn't get enough of the girl under him. She was his everything and he had to have her in that single moment._

"_Kaiden?" Margo asked after they parted and he became quiet._

"_Margo," he said, his voice warm and deep like honey. Margo let that honey envelope her and she memorized the sound of it, "I love you."_

_Margo stilled when she heard those words, but inside her heart was exploding. She hadn't heard those words from another person for so long, that it seemed to send her in a shocked state. She realized it was the first time that Kaiden had ever said it to her in all the time they've been together. It shot a line of heat straight through her entire body, but she couldn't seem to find the same words to say back to him. She wanted to say them so badly, but those three words refused to form on her tongue._

"_I…I…" she stuttered, trying so hard to say it in return._

_Kaiden pressed a finger against her lips, "You don't have to say it back right now," he said gently, "You can say it whenever you're ready. I just wanted you to hear how I really felt."_

_Margo smiled softly at the boy above her._

"_But," he continued, his voice turning into a whisper, "Let me have you tonight. Be mine tonight."_

_Margo blushed darkly at his statements. She knew exactly what he meant by them. Was she suddenly willing to give up that part of herself to him? She felt him run a hand through her hair and she replayed his honey voice saying 'I love you' in her mind. It was so sincere and honest and heart filled that Margo simply couldn't tell him no. So, she answered him by pulling him down in a heated kiss. Kaiden quickly followed her lead and they both let their passion take over the moonlit night._

_**. : + : .**_

_A month had passed since Margo's birthday and the small group of three were making their way to the town of Dahlia. They had wanted to head back to where they first met for a few days and see how the town had changed in their time away._

"_I wonder if we'll find any mages here," Kaiden said as they made their way down one of the streets in Dahlia._

"_I doubt it," Margo replied, "Dahlia doesn't have any guilds, so there wouldn't be any reason for mages to be here."_

"_True, but maybe a few would be here for a mission or maybe they would happen to be passing through the town."_

_Margo sighed at his optimism. She didn't want to see him get his hopes up, but she didn't want to dash them away either. She kept quiet as they made their way through the town. Dahlia felt the way it did when they were here last. It didn't feel like home and people kept on moving passed them, busy with their daily lives. No one stopped to smile at them or say hello. Margo hoped they could leave the town the next day._

"_Margo," Kaiden said, bringing her out of her thoughts, "I'm gonna go find an inn to stay at. Why don't you and Zepplin go find a place to eat for dinner? We'll meet up in the park in twenty minutes or so, all right?"_

"_Okay," she answered._

_Kaiden smiled at her and kissed her head, "Don't get into trouble."_

"_What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she grumbled, "You're the one that causes trouble, so don't start any fights!" she called out to him as he ran from her with a laugh, "Stupid boy," she mumbled to herself with a smile of her own. She then rubbed the top of Zepplin's head, "Let's go find a place to eat, boy," she said, earning a bark in reply._

_The two made their way through the town, Margo sniffing out something decent to eat. Once she found something she liked, she began making her way to the park. She found the bench that she had sat on when she met Kaiden. She took a seat with a smile and Zepplin sat down next to her. She waited patiently for Kaiden, knowing he wouldn't keep her waiting for too long. Margo stood corrected, though, when it had been a half hour and Kaiden still hadn't shown up at the park yet._

"_Where the hell is that punk?" she asked, earning a small huff from Zepplin. The hound didn't appreciate being kept waiting as much as Margo._

"_Sugar-chan!" Kaiden shouted, running into the park. He stopped right in front of Margo while panting from the exertion._

"_Where the hell have you been?!" Margo hissed, folding her arms in front of her._

"_I'm sorry for the long wait, but I have great news!" he smiled widely._

"_It better be amazing news for making me wait so long."_

"_Sugar-chan, I found some people from a guild," he explained, suddenly gaining Margo's full attention, "We should go check them out."_

"_And just where did you find them?" she asked, not sure about random mages showing up in Dahlia._

"_They were at the inn I found. They're just passing through the town, but they're looking for new recruits for their guild since they're a newer guild," he answered, grabbing her hand, "Come on! I want you to meet them!"_

"_Wait! Kaiden!" Margo shouted, but the blonde ignored her and continued to pull her along. Zepplin ran after the pair and soon they were all in front of a large inn. _

_Kaiden made his way inside and moved towards the dining area. He stopped in front of a table that held three people. There was a woman with bright orange hair to the left and a man with messy black hair to the right. In between them was a middle aged woman with long, brown hair. Her blue eyes were bright, but they held no warmth. Her skin was pale, but she was fit and toned. She wore dark, tight jeans with narrow, black heeled boots. Her torso was covered with an ivory blouse, black buttons going up the middle of it._

"_You made it back quickly, boy," the brunette spoke, no joy in her voice._

"_Of course," he grinned, "I told you I would be right back."_

"_So who is your friend?" she asked, looking over at Margo._

"_My name is Margo," she answered, refraining from giving the woman her full name. Margo felt a strange vibe coming from the three people in front of her and she wondered why Kaiden didn't feel it too. Was he so desperate to find a guild that he would ignore the obvious bad vibes that came from the small group in front of them? Margo knew that Kaiden wasn't stupid, but she almost questioned his intelligence right then, "And who are you?" she asked, not caring if she sounded rude._

_The brunette narrowed her eyes at Margo, quickly picking up on Margo's wary of her, "My name is Chandra Lestat," she answered in a smooth voice, "And these are my newest members to my guild, Zoey and Icarus," she said, pointing to the two people beside her, "Kaiden here has expressed interest in joining my guild as well, but he said he couldn't do it without you. You're welcomed to join as well."_

"_What's your guild's name?" Margo asked._

"_That's not important right now," Chandra answered._

"_Not important?" Margo replied, "I would at least like to know the name of a guild before I choose to join it," she said lowly, "I'm sorry Miss, but I decline your offer into your guild."_

"_That's a shame to hear," Chandra said, "I could give you power beyond your dreams if you were to join."_

"_Thanks, but I think I'll gain power on my own. I don't need it given to me," Margo retorted, "You three have a good day," she said in a finalizing tone and began walking away from them._

"_Margo!" Kaiden called after her before he turned back to Chandra, "Please don't leave. I'll be able to convince her. I promise."_

"_We'll only be here for another few days, boy," Chandra said, "So you better have an answer for me by then."_

"_Yes ma'am," he said before running after Margo. Kaiden easily caught up with Margo, considering she had stopped at the front desk to check in for the night, "Margo, why did you run off like that?"_

"_I don't like that woman," she answered bluntly, "There's something off about her. They're not good people, Kaiden."_

"_And how do you know? You only just met them," he retorted._

"_And how do you know they're good people?" she asked before thanking the woman behind the front desk for their room key, "I can't believe you can't feel the obvious bad vibe from that group."_

"_What are you talking about?"_

"_You're very smart, Kaiden," Margo answered, "But when it comes to people, you have no idea how to tell if they're good or bad. You can't sense that in them."_

"_I sensed that you were good," he replied sadly, "Doesn't that count for something?"_

_Margo was quiet for a moment before turning back to him, "That was different," she said softly, "I'm telling you, Kaiden, those people are no good. I will not join their guild."_

"_Don't you trust me, Margo?" he asked, a defeated look in his eyes._

"_You? Yes," she answered honestly, "Them? No. And don't you trust me, Kaiden? I'm not telling you this to be mean. I'm telling you this because it's the truth. Don't get mixed up with them. You don't need them to gain power. You only need me and Zepplin. I believe you can be a great mage, but not if you join that guild. Please just trust me on this, all right?"_

_Kaiden's face softened and he leaned in to kiss her on her forehead, "All right," he said quietly._

"_Thank you," Margo said before they made their way into their hotel room, forgetting about food for the evening._

_**. : + : .**_

_Three days had passed since they met Chandra and the others and Margo had become rather antsy. The town was really starting to get to her and they still continued to run into Chandra every evening at the inn. The brunette constantly tried to convince the two teenagers to join her guild and Margo could tell she was really getting to Kaiden. They needed to leave the town today before Kaiden cracked under the pressure._

"_Let's go Kaiden," Margo said, pulling the blonde boy with her as they left the inn that afternoon, "We need to leave."_

"_What's the rush?" Kaiden asked._

"_I'm uncomfortable here and it's just time to go," she answered as they made their way to the outskirts of the town, just beginning to hit the start of the forest that surrounded the town._

"_Leaving so soon?" a smooth voice asked. Chandra appeared by herself from behind a large tree._

_Margo full out glared at the woman, "Yes, we are, so move out of the way."_

"_Such a rude mouth on such a young girl," Chandra said, moving towards them._

"_Like I care," Margo huffed, trying to move around the woman. She managed to get passed her, but the woman pushed a hand against Kaiden's chest. This caused Margo to lose her grip on his arm and now Chandra stood in between them. Margo glared at her again before turning her attention on Kaiden, "Let's go, Kaiden," she said, "She can't keep you here."_

"_I'm not keeping him here," Chandra retorted calmly, "The boy wants to stay. Don't you, boy?" she asked with a sly smirk, looking down to Kaiden._

"_I…I…" Kaiden stuttered._

"_Kaiden, you can't be serious!" Margo hissed, "She doesn't even have enough respect to call you by your name. Now, let's go."_

"_I want to join the guild, Margo," Kaiden stated, creating a think silence in the air. Finally, he began to speak again, "I don't know what you have against them, but they're a guild that's actually willing to take both of us. Why are you throwing that away?"_

"_We can find another guild that will take us," Margo answered, "I thought you said you trusted me on this, Kaiden. Please, let's just go," she pleaded with him._

"_But I don't want to wait another six months to find a guild when we have a perfectly good one right here."_

"_We don't even know them! That woman won't even tell us the name of her guild!"_

"_I'm tired of traveling with barely any money. I want to take real jobs. I want to make enough money to actually take care of you."_

"_We don't need that. Not through that guild. We've been doing just fine all this time and we can continue doing fine for another six months."_

_Kaiden was quiet for a moment, looking between Margo and Chandra. Eventually he frowned and looked at Margo, "I don't want to be doing fine any more. I want to be doing better than fine. I want to join this guild," he said, earning a sly smile from Chandra._

"_So, you're choosing a guild you don't know over me?" Margo asked, not caring if she sounded selfish. She knew that this decision was wrong and she was willing to go to any means to stop Kaiden from going down this path, "We're always supposed to be together, Kaiden. Are you willing to break that promise so easily?"_

"_But you're breaking your promise to stay with me too," he retorted, but Kaiden knew that he wouldn't be able to win against Margo in this argument. His mind wanted to stay and join the guild, but his heart was screaming at him to leave with Margo. He wanted power and Chandra's guild would promise him that power, but Margo could promise him love and that was something he had wanted his whole life. An idea sparked in his mind, knowing it would have to work, "Margo, just tell me you love me and I'll leave with you. No questions asked."_

"_What?" Margo replied in surprise before a scowl covered her face, "You told me I wouldn't have to say that until I was ready. You really think I'm gonna say it when you're practically forcing me to?"_

"_Just say it and all of this is over," Kaiden pushed, "It's just three simple words. I know how you feel, so why can't you just say them?"_

_Margo was quiet for a long moment. It wasn't just three simple words to her. Those words meant everything to her. It meant that she would fully be giving herself to Kaiden. She hadn't said those words to anyone since she last saw Philomela. They weren't words that she could so easily throw around and she knew that she would be lying to herself if she suddenly said them now. Margo thought she would be able to do anything to keep Kaiden with her, but she just couldn't force herself to say those three words if she didn't truly and completely feel that way. She did love Kaiden as a friend and a lover, but she had yet to feel that deep connection that should have been in her heart. Philomela had once told her to never tell a man that she loved them unless she truly meant it. Never play games with love because it will never end well for you. Margo wished she had remembered those words sooner rather than later, then maybe she wouldn't be in this situation._

"_I cannot say those words, Kaiden," she finally said with a deep frown._

_A deep pain struck Kaiden's heart when she spoke. After all they had been through together and after he had said that he loved her and would do anything for her, Margo still couldn't say the same thing to him. He clenched his teeth hard and willed himself to forget about his love for the girl in front of him, but he knew that it wouldn't happen. She was and would always be his everything and he couldn't just stop loving her, but that didn't mean he had to follow her anymore. If she didn't want to achieve power, then he would achieve it for her. He would protect her even if she didn't want it. He would build his reputation in the mage world and when he had become strong enough, he would sweep Margo off her feet again and show her that she should join his guild._

_Kaiden turned to Chandra, "I will join your guild," he said even if his voice wavered in uncertainty._

_Chandra's smile grew. Suddenly, large black, feathered wings appeared from her back. She plucked a large feather from one of the wings, "Is this what you truly want?" she asked._

"_Yes."_

"_All right," she said, "We have to make a contract first. I will give you the power you desire and in return you will do my bidding. Do we have a deal?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Good. Now, boy, this is going to hurt," she said._

_Kaiden quirked an eyebrow, unsure of what Chandra meant. Margo glared, not liking the sound of Chandra's words one bit. The feather in the brunette's hand lit up in a dark light. She then stepped up to Kaiden and pushed the feather into his chest, the feather sinking into his skin and wrapping around his heart. Kaiden shouted in pain as the feather and black light continued to wrap around his heart and swirled throughout the rest of his body, seeming to take over his soul._

"_Kaiden!" Margo shouted, "What the hell did you do to him?!"_

"_It's a spell to ensure he stays with the guild. I control his soul now. If he tries to go against me, I can easily rip his soul away from his body, leaving him as nothing but an empty shell. He's no longer yours, girl. He is mine and mine alone."_

"_Screw you!" Margo yelled, "Kaiden!" she shouted again, trying to run for him._

_Before she could reach him, Chandra pulled out a cane with a large blood diamond on the top of it and the sharp tip of it made out of the same diamond. Chandra plunged the sharp tip into Margo's right shoulder blade. The diamond was lodged deep into her skin and Chandra began moving the diamond tipped cane down across her back. She finally lifted it from Margo's skin when she reach her left hip. Blood already soaked Margo's back as she fell to her knees in front of Kaiden. Chandra then threw the cane down towards Kaiden with Margo's blood still dripping from it._

"_You will learn how to use this weapon to assist with you Blood Magic. Think of the girl as your first victim," Chandra said._

"_Margo," Kaiden called out weakly, reaching for her._

_Margo flinched away from Kaiden, her bangs hanging in her face, "I hope you're happy with yourself, Kaiden," she whispered, tears on the verge of falling; but Margo refused to cry in front of him. A large Zepplin then stepped in between her and Kaiden. He growled lowly at Kaiden, daring the boy to make a move. Zepplin leaned down low enough for Margo to crawl over to him and pull herself onto his back before he stood tall again._

"_Margo, what are you doing?" Kaiden asked when Zepplin began to step away from him._

"_This is what you've chosen, Kaiden," Margo answered, "Your soul belongs to her now. You let this happen, Kaiden, and so I'm done. I won't stand in your way anymore."_

"_You're leaving?!" he asked in a frantic tone, "Why? Why would you leave me, Margo?!"_

_Margo didn't say another word as Zepplin quickly made his way deeper into the forest. She squeezed her eyes shut and finally let the tears fall down her face as she heard Kaiden shout out her name one last time._

**. : + : .**

"That was the last time I saw him before he showed up in Magnolia," Margo said as she finished off the second beer that Elfman had given her.

A thick silence passed through the entire guild. Most of the guild members stared at her with sympathy. Margo knew they were staring at her with sadness and she hated it. She didn't want their sympathy. She had already spent enough time feeling sad for herself. She had made herself get over what had happened two years ago. She didn't want to remember the dark place she had sank into for half a year after her parting from Kaiden. She didn't want to become that person again. She didn't want to cry for herself or for Kaiden anymore, and yet, she felt the sting of tears at the corners of her eyes with the remembrance of everything that had happened.

"Dammit!" she suddenly shouted, slamming her fist down on the bar counter, "It wasn't supposed to happen this way. We were just kids trying to get by. It wasn't supposed to be like this."

"Margo," Mirajane whispered sadly, watching the woman fight with the demons within her.

Margo quickly rubbed her eyes, not wanting any of the tears to fall; not for Kaiden and not in front of the guild, "Maybe if I could have just said I loved him, none of this would have happened. Maybe I could have saved him that way. I could have saved the both of us from this pain. I wouldn't bear a scar and he wouldn't bear the guilt of that scar! GOD DAMMIT!" she shouted, slamming both fists down on the countertop.

"Margo," Mirajane said, running around the bar and pulling the woman off of the stool. She hugged the Dragon Slayer tightly, letting Margo hide her face in her shoulder and hair.

"I could have stopped everything from happening," Margo choked out, trying to keep herself from breaking down, "I could have prevented everything!"

"Margo, it's not your fault," Mirajane cooed, gently running a hand through her hair.

"I hate what Kaiden's become, but it is my fault he ended up that way," Margo said, ignoring Mirajane's words, "I let his soul be taken. I let him become a monster."

A sudden, loud crash interrupted Margo's breakdown. The guild became quiet again as everyone turned to see that Gajeel's iron covered fist had broken through the entire bar countertop. His red eyes glared at Margo, angry at a number of things. He was angry that Kaiden had broken her heart, he was angry for the scar she received because of him, he was angry that Kaiden had broken such an important promise, but most of all, Gajeel was angry that Margo blamed herself for all of it.

"Shut up!" he shouted, causing most of the guild to flinch from his tone, "None of it is your fault! You stood for what you believed in. Don't let that piece of shit let you believe that you caused any of this. He wasn't strong enough to fight against that guild. He wasn't strong enough to keep from falling into darkness. And he wasn't strong enough to wait for your love. A man like that doesn't deserve your tears or your guilt. Don't let him win by seeing you fall so easily. Don't you dare breakdown for a man like Kaiden."

"Gajeel," Margo whispered.

Suddenly two figures stood behind Margo. She turned to feel her brothers behind her. Aero was the first to reach out for her, Mirajane easily letting go of Margo and letting Aero take over.

"For once, Gajeel is right," Aero stated, earning a huff from the iron dragon, "No more tears for Kaiden," he said, wiping the corners of her eyes with his thumbs, "And I'm sorry for not trusting you about Kaiden. That won't happen again."

Margo let a small smile escape as she hugged Aero tightly.

"We won't let that happen to you again," Dante said, setting a hand on top of her head.

"Thank you," Margo said, her voice muffled from pressing against Aero's shoulder.

"My brats," Makarov announced from the top of the steps. Everyone turned towards the old man, "No more people will be hurt because of Fallen Angel," he stated, having heard Margo's entire story, "When they next attack, we will be ready and we'll give them hell."

Most of the guild cheered. Though, Margo, her brothers, Gajeel and Mirajane stayed silent, knowing that the eventual fight between Fairy Tail and Fallen Angel would be a bloody battle. Makarov seemed to share the same feelings as he stared at them with a straight face. But there was determination hidden within all their eyes. Makarov was right to say that no more people would be hurt because they would be there to fight back and bring down the dark guild that brought forth so much heartache.

* * *

**A/N: **There you go! Hope you all enjoyed it! I'll have the next one up soon!

Please remember to review!

Yours Truly,

MyDearWatson


	26. Does She Swing?

**A/N: **Finally got this chapter up!

Sorry it took a little longer than usual for me to post this chapter. Life kind of got in the way for the past week, that and I felt like crap for three days, so needless to say I wasn't able to get a lot of this chapter written until today. The next chapter shouldn't take so long to update.

But! I had fun with this chapter. I wanted to add in a fun chapter to break up some of the serious stuff that was going on, so I hope you all enjoy it too!

I would like to thank Link, fanfcFreakShingeki, FreeHugs0009 and Savage Kill for their reviews! And I'm now at 100 reviews! You all are just so awesome! Thanks for all the awesome and great reviews! I really do appreciate it! ^.^

Link - LOL! Glad to hear that enjoyed the last chapter so much! And you get the Kreepy Kaiden! Yeah, poor Margo, but that's why she now has Gajeel around! ^.^ Hope you enjoy this chapter!

fanficFreakShingeki - Glad to hear you checked that story out and that you liked it! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

FreeHugs0009 - Yeah, a huge part of me had a hard time with the romance parts of the last chapter. My mind kept screaming the same things - 'No! She's not supposed to be with Kaiden! Change it! CHANGE IT!' It was hard not seeing her with Gajeel, so I hope this chapter makes up for that a little bit at least, lol! Hope you enjoy the chapter!

Savage Kill - Yep, they both have scars, though obviously, Margo deals with hers a lot better than Kaiden. And yeah, I've wondered about what being a Dragon Slayer is like too, lol. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

I don't own Fairy Tail!

Please enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 26: Does She Swing?**

"Will you really be okay, Margo?" Codi asked, looking up to her as they made their way through the town. She had insisted on walking him to Nick's bakery after the meeting at the guild. Originally, Aero had wanted to walk him home, stating that she needed to get some rest; but Margo wouldn't have it. She needed to take a walk to clear her mind and she wouldn't be able to relax unless she made sure Codi got home safely herself.

"Yeah, little man," she answered with a grin while rubbing the top of his head, "I'll be okay."

Codi looked back down to the ground, still feeling guilty for Margo getting hurt, "I understand if you don't want to teach me anymore."

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"I couldn't even take a simple order. How am I supposed to be a great mage if I can't even run out of the way?"

"Lesson five: You will make mistakes and you will have failures, but someone who learns from those mistakes and failures will be the one to become a great mage," Margo smiled down to him, "I've failed many times, Codi, but I continue moving forward because I don't want to just be a good mage. I want to be a great one. And I want you to become a great one too, so I will continue to be your teacher."

"Really?" he asked, finally looking up at Margo again.

"Yes, really," she laughed, "I'm sure I'll have to knock you upside the head again and again, but it'll be worth it. I want you to unlock your full potential, so if I have to get a few cracked ribs in order for that to happen, then so be it. A kid like you is worth it."

"Thanks Margo," Codi smiled in reply, "Are we training tomorrow?"

"Yes," she answered, "I'm not giving you a break after the first day. You want to be able to protect Fairy Tail, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then your training will continue with or without cracked ribs, got it?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Good boy," she smirked as they stopped in front of Nick's bakery, "Tell Nick I said hey."

"You're not coming in?"

"Not today," she answered, "I need to go do some things."

"All right," Codi said, "Just be careful."

"Hey, I'm the teacher here," Margo grinned, "No need to worry about me. I'll see you tomorrow morning," she said, waving to him as she walked down the street with Zepplin.

"See ya!" Codi shouted before heading inside the bakery.

Margo's smile quickly dropped as she turned a corner. She didn't want Codi worrying about her, but she was still bothered by the appearance of Fallen Angel and digging up all her memories. The length of her back ached, but Margo knew it wasn't from the cracked ribs. She could feel her scar burning with the thought of how she had received it. She wanted to stretch out her body in hopes of getting rid of the ache in her back, but the broken ribs made that impossible at the moment. Even if the cream that Mirajane had applied to her back was helping her heal faster, she still had pain from the cracked ribs and Margo knew that it would be a few days until she was back to normal. She hoped that Fallen Angel would hold off their attack until both she and Gajeel were fully healed. She also hoped that Natsu and the others were back by then. Having them back at the guild would give them an advantage over the dark guild.

Zepplin nudged her hand gently with his nose when he noticed her depressed attitude. Margo focused her attention on the hellhound then, smiling sadly down at him, "Good boy," she said softly while scratching behind one of his ears, "You still know how to look out for me. I'm sorry if I haven't been paying enough attention to you lately," she said, earning a small bark and a lick to her hand in reply. This caused Margo's smile to brighten a little. Before Margo could say anything else to the hound, she felt her boots scratch against grass instead of the cobblestone they had been on a moment ago. She sniffed the air and sensed that they were standing at the outskirts of the forest, "What the hell?" Margo asked aloud, "How did we get here?" she turned to leave, but Zepplin jumped behind her and pushed on her legs to get her to move forward, "Zepplin? What are you doing?" she asked the hound. Zepplin only kept pushing on her legs, "All right, all right," she said, "We'll keep going into the forest."

Margo kept on walking where her feet wanted to take her, a familiar feeling overcoming her. The feeling started to disappear as she delved into her thoughts again. It was now a known fact that Kaiden was a part of a dark guild that meant to bring down Fairy Tail. Margo wouldn't say that it was her fault that Fallen Angel was after Fairy Tail since that was a completely different story; but she couldn't help the guilty feeling that filled her heart when she thought of Kaiden. Part of her still felt like it was her fault that he was in the guild in the first place and now he was out not only to hurt her, but her friends and family as well. She wished there was a way to bring him back to how he used to be, but then she knew that would never happen. Not only had Kaiden changed over the years, but she had as well; and she didn't want to fix the change. If things were still the same, then she would still be with Kaiden and she would never have found Gajeel.

Margo felt her heart thump at the thought of the iron dragon. She placed a hand over her heart, having never felt such a rush of strong emotions at the thought of a single person; not even Kaiden when they were together. It was a strange feeling, but she didn't hate it. It actually brought a smile to her face to think that she could feel so strongly for someone. Margo felt it was a long time coming for her. She didn't care if she sounded selfish or conceited, but she felt she deserved something good after all the crap she had been through in her life. Gajeel had been a solid figure in her life since she had met him, even if they fought a lot in the beginning. It almost scared her with how strongly her heart was burning for the man at the moment. With people always leaving her throughout her life, Margo heard a nagging voice in her head that told her Gajeel would eventually leave too. She quickly shook that thought from her head. Even if they weren't exactly dating at the moment, Margo knew that Gajeel just wouldn't up and leave her like that. He wasn't that type of person. He wasn't a flake and Margo needed something like in her life.

With that last thought, Margo let a small smile escape as she came to a sudden stop. The scent of stone and iron filled her nose and she stomped a foot down to feel a house in front of her. She listened to her surroundings to find that she was in the middle of the forest in front of a house that she had just left from that morning. Margo had to wonder if it really had been just that morning. So much had happened in such a short time span that it was hard to believe that she had just spent the previous night at this house.

She sighed, trying to figure out why her feet had led her here and why Zepplin had pushed her to come here. She was sure that the iron dragon wanted to be left alone for a night. She had bothered him enough already, hadn't she?

Margo stood at the front door for a moment, contemplating whether she should knock or not. It would be dark soon and she knew her brothers would freak out if she was walking around town at night with everything that had happened that day. Even if it was at Gajeel's place, her brothers would rather her be there than aimlessly walking around town, as she knew she would do if she turned around. She didn't feel like going back to Fairy Hills yet. She would only be bombarded with questions by the women about why she had stayed at Gajeel's last night.

Margo lifted her hand to knock on the door, but she stopped herself. Weren't they supposed to be playing a game as well? If she came back here so suddenly, wouldn't that mean he was winning the game? It would seem like she couldn't be without him and she knew that he would try to make an advance on her; and Margo didn't know if she had the strength or the wit to play around his advances right now. She promised herself that she would get him to admit that he at least liked her before she kissed him again, but it seemed that her mind and heart didn't want to listen to that promise or else she wouldn't be standing in front of his door right now.

"Dammit," she whispered, finally dropping her fist. She sighed in defeat and turned to leave. Just as Margo had turned her back to the door, she heard it being yanked open quickly. Her eyes widened when she felt a heavy hand tightly grasp her wrist. Margo and the person holding her wrist stood that way for a long moment before the other person finally spoke.

"Why didn't you knock?" Gajeel asked, his deep, raspy voice sending a shiver down Margo's back.

"You knew I was here?" she asked, still not turning to face him. Part of her also felt a little ashamed after revealing her past with Kaiden in front of him. She hoped that he didn't think less of her for giving in so easily to Kaiden and for receiving a scar so easily because of the same man. It was a part of her that she hated so much. She wished that she could wash the scar away, but then that would be trying to change herself again and she already decided she didn't want to do that. She would have to live with the literal scar and hope that Gajeel wasn't bothered by it.

"Yeah, you stupid woman," he answered quietly. There was no bite in his tone, but Margo could hear a hint of concern and disappointment; like he had been waiting for her to knock, "I could smell you and the dog outside the door and I heard you curse. Why'd you hesitate?"

"I…I didn't want to bother you," she replied, stuttering a little through her words, "I mean, I was just here last night. And you're probably tired of seeing me after our recent mission together."

"Then why'd you come here in the first place?"

"I…" she began, drifting off for a moment. Margo finally decided to turn and face Gajeel. She pulled her sunglasses off and hung them from her tank top, suddenly wanting Gajeel to see her dull eyes in hopes that he could figure out all the things she wanted to say and all the things she felt in that moment by looking at them, "I don't know," she said, Gajeel hearing the honesty in her answer.

Gajeel's own red eyes widened slightly when he looked down at Margo's eyes. He was sure that if they were the true, brilliant gold they were supposed to be, he would have been blown away. The emotions in them were enough to keep him speechless for some time. He couldn't figure out every single emotion, but he could see guilt and shame in them. His brows furrowed in anger at those feelings swimming around in her eyes. He had already told her that Kaiden's fate wasn't her fault, that the man hadn't been strong enough to fight the darkness that surrounded him. The shame, though, he didn't understand. She had nothing to feel ashamed of and he hadn't judged her for her past, it wasn't like his was any better at times. At least she had loved a man before she slept with him. And at least she had loved a man before she took a scar for him. He would never be able to say the same things about himself. He had his own skeletons in his closet that he kept hidden away. He was sure that Margo would someday know about his demons and she would have to hear the shame and guilt in his voice, but at least it would be deserved shame and guilt and she wouldn't be able to convince him otherwise on that fact; but he would be damned if he let her feel that way for a man that had given up on her.

Along with the shame and guilt, Gajeel also saw need in her eyes. It was hard to tell what the need was for though. It could have been a number of things to him. The need for her to tell him all her thoughts. The need for her to come all the way out to his house. The need for her to be around him at the moment. Whatever the need was in her eyes, Gajeel found that he liked it. She hadn't just blindly showed up on his doorstep. She had wanted to be here, even if she didn't know that fact quite yet. He liked that someone wanted to be around him and he liked it even more that it was Margo. Gajeel also saw a warmth buried underneath the need in her eyes. He didn't want to lose that warmth because it spread a heat throughout his own body that he hadn't ever felt. He didn't understand everything that was happening at the moment and he didn't understand everything going on in Margo's eyes, but he did understand that he didn't want to let her go so easily. He wasn't willing to let her go home in the dark and he wasn't willing to let her go home when she so obviously wanted to be there with him. With those thoughts and an unknown force telling him to do it, Gajeel pulled Margo inside the house.

"What are you doing?" Margo asked as she was yanked inside. Gajeel kept the door open long enough for Zepplin to run inside. The hound quickly curled up on one of the bean bag chairs in the living room, "Gajeel! What are you doing?" she repeated with more demand in her voice.

Gajeel quickly shut the door behind him and pulled her up against him in a tight hug. His arms circled around her waist that way he wouldn't bother her injury, but he still kept her locked in place tight enough for her not to be able to pull away; and he sat his chin on top of her head.

"Gajeel," Margo began while pushing her hands against the closed door to try and pull herself away from the iron dragon.

"Shut up already, would ya?" he grumbled at her, tightening his grip on her ever so slightly, "I don't ever do this kind of thing, so don't fight against it. If you do, I won't ever do it again."

Margo instantly became quiet and she stopped struggling against him. It was then that she realized that he was trying to comfort her. She was beginning to learn that Gajeel showed his feelings through actions more than words, and this was his way of telling her that he cared and that he understood. Margo sighed, feeling like she really would lose the game they had started. She pressed her forehead against his chest and wrapped her arms around him as well. They stood that way for a long time, neither one of them moving or saying anything.

"Stay here tonight," Gajeel finally said, his voice seeming to echo throughout the house and through her body.

Margo had originally planned on leaving and going back to her own place that night. Everything she did lately seemed like it was placing a burden on the iron dragon. She didn't like that. She didn't like that she couldn't handle things on her own. It was how she had always done it, so why were things so different now? It made her feel like she wouldn't be able to bring Kaiden down on her own. Even if her guild mates told her she wasn't alone and that she had a family to fight for her now, Margo still felt like Kaiden was solely her problem and that she needed to take care of him on her own. She didn't want to bring that burden down on other people. Even if she had a family behind her, Margo still wanted to be able to take care of herself. Yet, here she was at Gajeel's house because she knew in her mind that she couldn't handle everything on her own. The male Dragon Slayer seemed to know this too, or else he wouldn't be hugging her or asking her to stay the night. Margo had to wonder if he thought less of her for it. Gajeel was always strong, always being able to stand on his own without any help. He never broke down in front of people or showed that he was weak. Maybe that was the reason he couldn't say that he liked her – that she had been too weak and vulnerable in front of him lately. She was sure that he wanted some stronger to be around.

"Stop thinking so much," Gajeel grumbled after she had taken so long to answer him and flicked her on the forehead.

"Ow!" she hissed, rubbing the spot on her forehead that he hit, "What the hell?!"

"You keep worrying about every damn thing," he said, "Stop thinking about everything and just act."

"That's what you live by and I've seen how that's worked out for you sometimes," she retorted.

"Yeah, but then I wouldn't be here with you either," he stated, "You should use your instincts more and act on them instead of finding a solution for everything. Sometimes worrying about everything just makes it worse. Thinking about Kaiden and what he's done and what he's going to do won't help things."

"Then what do you propose I do about it?" she asked with a huff.

"Let it go for now and handle him when the time comes," he answered, "You'll drive yourself insane otherwise. Besides," he said, a smirk spreading across his face, "You've got me around to worry about instead."

With every word he said, Margo could feel him inching closer and closer to her. She almost let him kiss her too until she remembered their game. Her eye twitched and she pushed his face away with a hand, "I told you, it's not gonna be that easy. And here I was beginning to think that you wouldn't take advantage of the situation."

"Oh, come on Siren," he retorted, trying to get his face around her hand, "What did I tell you about listening to your instincts?"

"Well, my instincts tell me to make sure to win this little game of ours," she answered, "OW!" she hissed after he had bit her hand with his fang-like teeth. Margo quickly yanked her hand away from him, "What the hell is your problem?! First you flicked me and now you bit me!"

"Anything to win the game," he smirked.

"How is biting me going to help you?" she asked with a flat stare.

"It got your hand down, didn't it?"

It was then that Margo felt Gajeel start to move closer to her again. She quickly ducked down and out of his arms, "Nice try," she laughed as she took a few steps away from him.

"You can't get away so easily," he grinned while chasing after her.

Margo laughed loudly while dodging Gajeel throughout the house. For the moment, she forgot about all her worries and just enjoyed herself. Gajeel had been right. There was no need for her to worry about something she couldn't do anything about at the moment. When the time came, she would face Kaiden and Fallen Angel; but until then she would just enjoy the things and people around her.

**. : + : .**

"So what do you want to do for the rest of the day?" Margo asked Gajeel as they walked through the town. Zepplin walked on one side of her and Gajeel walked on the other.

The previous night, Margo had won their battle for their game. They had ended up on the couch, Gajeel watching a movie and Margo listening to it. They had fallen asleep out in the living room, Margo using Gajeel as a pillow. Margo was the first to wake, literally smacking Gajeel awake when she realized that she needed to be at the guild that morning to see over Codi's practice. She ran the whole way to Fairy Hills, telling Gajeel that she would meet up with him at the guild.

By the time she got to her apartment, she had regretted running. Her chest was burning from the still cracked ribs, but she ignored the pain as she took a quick shower. She knew she would need more cream to put on her back and chest to help the healing process and luckily for her, Levy had been waiting for her with the cream. Mirajane had given it to the script mage with a knowing smile that morning. The takeover mage seemed to know that Margo wouldn't be home until later that morning. Levy laughed when Margo looked like a deer in headlights when she walked into her room. Margo even begged Levy not to tell her brothers anything and swore that nothing had happened between her and Gajeel the night before. Levy laughed again and told her not to worry about anything and that her secret was safe with all the other women at Fairy Hills.

After Margo calmed down, she allowed Levy to help her put on the healing cream and wrap her chest again. Margo felt a little better after the shower and the cream, but knew it was still going to be a few days before she would fully recover. She pulled on her usual camouflage tank top once the two women were finished and then they headed out to the guild.

Margo was greeted like usual when they entered the guild, although she noticed that Dante was gentler with his hugging this time around. She quickly found Codi and gave him a good whack upside the head after he made a quip about her being late. She then had dragged him out to the practicing area and they began their training. Since she was unable to be his sparring partner for the day, she made him do laps around the area, push-ups, sit-ups and other mundane exercises for the morning. He complained and she smacked him upside the head again, telling him that he not only had to train to get his magic stronger but his body as well. This was her sixth lesson for him – a weak body can't handle a strong magic.

Once noon had come, Margo had let Codi go home early for the day. They would be able to do more of the same thing the next morning and her chest was starting to hurt from sitting on a rock for such a long period of time. She needed to get up and move around for a while. That was how she ended up in the middle of town with Gajeel, the iron dragon not wanting her to be alone even if it was the middle of the day. He had highly doubted they would attack at the moment, but he didn't want to take the chance of Fallen Angel attacking her when she was alone.

Gajeel looked thoughtful at the moment as he contemplated Margo's question. They had already grabbed something to eat, so stopping for food was out. He knew that she wanted to move around for a bit, so going back to his place to relax was out as well. They could possibly just check out some shops in town. He had been meaning to pick up some new music for a while.

Just as he was about to answer her, they turned around a corner and Margo collided with another person. Both Margo and the other person slammed down onto the ground with the person on top of Margo. She hissed in pain from the collision and landing hard on her back. Gajeel glared at the person that had ran into her. He grabbed the back of their shirt and ripped them off of Margo. He pushed them a few feet away as he helped Margo stand up.

"Are you all right?" Gajeel asked, worried that her chest could have gotten worse from the fall.

"I'm okay," Margo answered, holding her chest in slight pain. Luckily, the healing cream had really began to kick in, so the collision with the other person wasn't as bad as it could have been, "Just a little sore."

Once Gajeel was sure that she was all right, he quickly turned on the person that had ran into her with a heated glare, "Watch where you're fucking going," he snapped.

"Whoa! Gajeel! It's okay!" Margo said hurriedly, moving to get in between him and the other person, "Calm down!"

"Margo?" a female's voice asked. Margo turned around to face the woman, her voice sounding familiar, "Hey! It is you! I'm so sorry for running into you like that!"

"Melissa?" Margo asked.

"Yeah, but remember I told you to just call me Mel," she answered.

A smile suddenly spread across Margo's face as she moved to hug the woman in front of her. Gajeel stared at the scene with confusion, wondering who the other woman was. She stood just a little taller than Margo with an average bust and hips. She wore tight, skinny jeans with a few rips in them with worn down, black boots. She wore a black tank top that cut off at her stomach and had a white print of a skull on it. She had a black choker, black bracelets on both wrists that had metal spikes on them and black studs in both ears. Her hair was a dark red with black streaks in it and it hung down to her shoulders with her bangs swooped to the right side. Her eyes were an onyx color, much like Natsu's, and her skin with light.

"You're fine, Mel," Margo said after letting the woman go. She still had a grin on her face as she continued talking, "Why were you running, though?"

"I just got off work and Jake was supposed to be taking over for me," Melissa explained, "The weasel was trying to get out of work, so I booked it out of there before the manager could ask me to stay. I've already covered for him twice this week. He's just trying to tap some ass since he met this new girl."

"Another new girl?" Margo asked, "He's gonna eventually run out of women."

"Yeah, I tried telling him that, but he doesn't care," Melissa said, "I haven't seen you around the shop for a while. I was beginning to think that you found a different shop to go to for your music."

"No," Margo replied, "I've just been busy with missions and some things going on at the guild. I've got an apprentice now!"

"Sweet," Melissa smiled, "Is it the big guy here?"

"What?!" Gajeel finally spoke, "Hell no! I don't need any training!"

"Stop it!" Margo hissed, elbowing him in the stomach, "No, this isn't my apprentice. My new sidekick's name is Codi and he's thirteen," she explained when she turned her attention back to Melissa.

"Then who is this?" she asked, not seeming to be fazed by Gajeel's glare.

"This is my newest partner, Gajeel Redfox," Margo introduced, "Gajeel, this is Mel. She works at the music shop that I get my records from. We've been friends since I stopped in the shop for the first time. She's cool so be nice."

Gajeel and Melissa stared each other down, not sure of how to feel about the other yet. Finally, Melissa put on a cheesy grin and stuck her hand out to the iron dragon, "Nice to meet ya."

"Yeah," was all he responded with as he shook her hand tightly. Melissa shook his hand just as tightly, both seeming to want to set some sort of dominance over the other.

"So what are you doing in town?" Melissa asked after shaking hands with Gajeel.

"Well, we just finished eating lunch," Margo answered, not noticing the tension between Gajeel and Melissa, "And we have the afternoon free, but we haven't decided on what to do yet."

"There's a live band on the other end of town that I was gonna go see," Melissa said, "You're more than welcome to join me if you want."

"Sure!" Margo answered, not bothering to wait for Gajeel's answer on the offer. The iron dragon huffed slightly at her quick answer, but decided to stay quiet about it. She looked excited about going to listen to a live band and he wasn't about to ruin her good mood.

"All right," Melissa smiled, "Then follow me," she said, pulling on Margo's arm and keeping a tight hold around her arm. She flicked her eyes back towards Gajeel and gave him a sly smirk.

Gajeel huffed again, not liking the look on the woman's face. It wasn't that she was a danger to them, but she was definitely standing closer to Margo than a friend normally would. He didn't like that, even if Melissa was a woman. She was stepping onto his territory and the dragon in him didn't appreciate it. He let out a low growl, knowing he would have to keep an eye on her.

He looked down at Zepplin to see an unamused look on the hound's face as well, "Come on, dog," he said, "I know how you're feeling," he whispered down to the hellhound, "We'll just have to keep a close eye on that woman," he added, earning a low bark from Zepplin.

**. : + : .**

Gajeel stood a few feet behind Margo and Melissa with Zepplin sitting right next to him as they listened to the live band. His arms were crossed and he wore an angry scowl as he watched Melissa 'accidently' touch Margo's butt for a tenth time; and yes, he had been counting. He had also counted all the times she wrapped her arms around Margo, playfully pushed her and he even caught her giving Margo a light peck on the cheek once or twice. That infuriated him the most. He didn't care that she was a woman, no one was allowed to kiss Margo anywhere except for himself; and he had to play a freaking game with her right now to even be able to do that himself. Margo didn't even do anything about all of the woman's actions. She simply laughed or shrugged it off, not seeming to know what it all really meant. Gajeel wanted to call her stupid for it, but he guessed that if she didn't feel the same way about someone then she wouldn't realize that Melissa was actually trying to hit on her. Part of him was happy for that, but then, another part of him hated it. Margo could at least ask the woman to stop touching her ass. What was even worse was that Melissa knew what she was doing and she kept smirking at him when she did it, knowing it would piss him off. And it did piss him off. If she had been a man, Gajeel would have long ago punched her in the face, but she was a woman. He couldn't just randomly punch her in the face. The crowd around them would think he was beating her and Margo would be pissed at him.

"Dammit," he cursed, hearing Zepplin huff with him. At least the hound was on his side. He didn't seem to like the woman being draped over Margo any more than he did.

Eventually, the music show was over and the two women turned away from the stage with the rest of the crowd. They came to stand in front of Gajeel, the small group trying to decide what to do next.

"We could go down to the beach," Melissa mentioned, "I bet you would look pretty next to the water."

Gajeel's eyes flared with anger, hating the satisfied smirk on Melissa's face.

"No, no water," Margo answered, not noticing the flirty sound of Melissa's voice, "Why don't the two of you figure it out while use the bathroom," she said, walking off towards the nearest store to use their restroom.

Gajeel waited for Margo to enter a store before he turned his attention on Melissa, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I'm doing as I please," Melissa answered with her hands on her hips, "I like Margo, and so I'm flirting with her."

"Well stop it," he snapped.

"Why? You guys aren't dating, so what's the big deal?"

"You're messing with some dangerous territory," he growled, "I don't care if you're a woman, I'll put you in your place if I have to, so back off."

"Can't take a little competition?" she asked with a grin, "Can't handle Margo giving me more attention than you?"

"I almost wish you were a man," he said, stepping up to her, "I would be able to hit you that way without anyone giving a damn."

"I'm not scared," she retorted, stepping up to him as well. Both of their chests were touching as they each attempted to establish dominance again, "Hit me."

Gajeel bared his fangs at the woman, getting a whiff of rose petals and lavender off of her. The smell was suddenly behind him as well, causing the Dragon Slayer to turn around. He saw Margo standing behind them and his eye twitched once he realized that Melissa had been hanging on Margo so much that her smell was beginning to stick to her. That was the last straw for the iron dragon. He could barely smell his own scent and only half of Margo's usual scent on her and the dragon instincts in him roared at him to fix that problem.

Melissa side stepped Gajeel to walk up to Margo and hug her again. Just as the woman touched Margo's arm, she was yanked backwards by her tank top, "What the hell?!" she shouted.

"I told you to back off!" Gajeel shouted back, pushing her away from Margo, "So back the fuck off already!"

"Hey," Margo began, but both Gajeel and Melissa ignored her.

"And I told you that I would do as I please," Melissa retorted, "I'm not afraid of a man like you. Men like you are the reason I go after women."

'What the fuck?' Margo thought.

"There are men like me because of crazy chicks like you!" he shouted, "And you should be afraid of me! I could take you down with both arms tied behind my back!"

"Hey!" Margo tried a little louder, but was still ignored by the fighting duo.

"You don't deserve someone like Margo when you act like such a brute!"

"She acts the same way! Obviously, you don't know her at all!"

'What the fuck?!' Margo thought again, a vein appearing on her forehead, "ENOUGH!" she shouted, not wanting to hear anything else either of them had to say to each other. She didn't need anymore attacks on her character, "What the hell is going on between you two?!"

The two stopped arguing and stared at Margo for a moment, finally realizing the sound dragon's irritation. Gajeel was the first to speak, hoping it would cause the other woman to go away.

"She's been hitting on you this whole time," he growled.

An awkward silence passed through the group until Margo started laughing, causing the other two to sweat drop in response.

"You're serious?" Margo managed to ask in between her laughter.

"Uh…yeah," both Gajeel and Melissa answered.

"I was beginning to wonder why you were touching my butt so much," Margo said, still laughing.

"Why are you laughing?!" Gajeel shouted, clearly upset by her reaction.

"It's just funny is all," she answered, "It's pretty awesome to have an admirer and it's funny to see you all worked up and jealous over a girl."

"I'm not jealous!" he retorted.

"Oh, yes you are," both women smirked at him.

Gajeel stood there speechless for a moment, unsure of what to say to either woman. Eventually he managed to pull enough sense together to yell, "Screw you both!" before storming off towards the guild.

"Uh oh," Margo giggled, "I should go settle him down before he tears the guild up," she said before turning to Melissa, "Thanks for hanging out with us today, Mel. I'll make sure to stop by the shop soon."

"Sounds good," Melissa smiled before she pulled Margo in close for another peck on the check, "Tell him I don't back down so easily."

"Whatever Mel," Margo said, wiping the spot on her cheek, "Later," she waved to her before running after Gajeel with Zepplin quickly following her, "Gajeel! Wait!" she shouted once she felt herself move closer towards the other Dragon Slayer.

"Oh, so you're interested in me now," he snapped.

"Stop pouting," she grinned while poking him in the cheek when she had caught up with him, "You're just mad because of Mel."

"Of course I'm mad," he said, "You didn't care that she was flirting with you."

"You shouldn't be so bothered by it," Margo said, her grin turning into a smirk, "Unless you say that you actually like me. Then I would understand why you're so upset."

"I like-" Gajeel began, but he quickly caught himself, "Metal."

"You like metal?" Margo repeated with a small frown, a little disappointed that he didn't say what she wanted to hear.

"Yeah."

"All right," she sighed, "But I hope you know that I'll be stopping at her shop again soon."

"What?! No! It's bad enough that I can smell her on you now," he growled, "I don't want you permanently smelling like her!"

"Oh? Does it bother you? Why is that?" Margo asked, not being able to help the laugh that escaped her mouth.

"Because," was all he answered with, but Margo wasn't letting him off so easily. She jumped onto his back and circled her arms around his neck. Even if Gajeel was annoyed by her actions, he still instinctively grabbed onto her legs to make sure she wouldn't fall and to keep her from adding pressure onto her ribs, "What are you doing, woman?"

"Awww, can't you at least call me by my nickname?" she asked while poking his cheeks again.

"Stop that," he grumbled, pulling his face away from her hand.

"Just say that you like me and I'll stop."

"No."

"Say it."

"No."

"Say it!"

"No!"

"Just say it already," she said, pushing his cheeks together.

"Nu!" he managed to say with the pressure on his cheeks.

"You know you want to," she continued, "So why do you keep pushing away?"

"I ain't pushing away," he said after managing to get his face away from her hands, "I'm just not good at words."

"I call bull shit!" she said, "I'm giving you the words to say and you know you want to say them," she explained, "I like you, Gajeel. What do you have to say back to that?"

"I…" but before Gajeel could answer her, a loud voice interrupted them.

"So there's the metal brain!" Natsu shouted.

Gajeel and Margo froze for a moment, not realizing they had already walked into the Fairy Tail guild. Everyone was staring at them and Gajeel tried to get Margo off of his back, but she clung on tightly with a wide smile.

"Get off!" he shouted.

"Nope."

"Margo!" Natsu yelled, running up to the pair, "What are you doing?"

"Hitching a ride," she laughed before jumping down and hugging the rosette, "How was your mission."

"It went well," Erza answered for him, appearing in front of them along with Gray, Lucy and Happy, "And it was completed successfully with the help of Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus."

"Great," Margo smiled before her face contorted into pain, "Ow! Watch it!" Margo hissed at Natsu, who had hugged her back a little too tightly.

"Margo? What's wrong?" Natsu asked just as he noticed the bandaging under her tank top, "What the hell happened to you?" he growled as he also noticed Gajeel's bandaged hands and wrist, "And what the hell happened to him?!"

"We'll talk about it later," Margo whispered harshly, not wanting to bring up the previous day just yet with the others that had been gone.

A thick silence passed through the guild before Lucy decided it was time to break it, "Hey! We also have a surprise for the two of you," she said, pointing towards Margo and Gajeel.

"Surprise?" the two Dragon Slayers asked.

"Yeah," Lucy smiled, "We have a new member at the guild now."

"Are you talking about Codi?" Margo asked.

"Who's Codi?" Natsu replied, answering Margo's question. The member they were talking about was obviously someone else.

"He's my apprentice," Margo smiled proudly, "You should be able to meet him tomorrow. But who's the new member that you're talking about?"

It was then Erza pushed a small girl around the age of twelve in front of Margo and Gajeel. The two Dragon Slayers peered down at the girl with dark blue hair and a white cat beside her. The girl peered back up at them with a nervous look on her face.

"This is Wendy Marvel and her cat, Carla!" Natsu announced, "And she's a Dragon Slayer too! An Air Dragon Slayer!"

Gajeel continued to stare at Wendy while Margo stomped her foot to get a better picture of the girl. She was surprised to find Wendy so small, indicating how young she was. It was hard to believe that the girl could be a Dragon Slayer, but Margo felt a familiar presence around her and she knew then that Natsu wasn't lying about her magic abilities.

"Hello," Wendy finally said, "It's nice to meet both of you and I hope you can accept me into the guild like Natsu and the others have," she said with a slight bow.

Margo blinked a few times at the honest politeness of the girl. She could only imagine how cute she actually looked, but she could sense it through the movements she made and the sound of her voice. Suddenly Margo threw her arms around the small girl and nuzzled her cheek against Wendy's.

"So adorable!" Margo announced, "She's a cute little Dragon Slayer and so polite, unlike the two of you," she said turning her attention on Natsu and Gajeel for a moment, causing both men to stare flatly back at her.

"Thank you…uh…" Wendy began, but drifted off for a moment since she didn't know her name.

"I'm Margo Lennox," she said, "Your new, big sister," she grinned.

"What?!" Aero and Dante shouted, "But you're our sister!"

"Shut up!" she hissed at them, "I've always wanted a little sister! Don't ruin this for me!"

Wendy laughed lightly at the scene in front of her while Carla stared is shock, "I think I like the sound of having an older sister."

"Ha! I win!" Margo grinned while hugging Wendy again, "Oh and the hound over there is my partner, Zepplin and the big, grumpy guy behind me is my other partner, Gajeel Redfox. He's a Dragon Slayer too and so am I."

"Really?!" Wendy asked, her eyes growing wide with excitement, "I didn't think there were other Dragon Slayers until I met Natsu."

"Yep, there's more of us than you think," Margo smiled, "You're not alone."

Wendy let a huge smile spread across her face and hugged Margo back.

It was in that simple moment, that Margo knew things would be all right. If someone as sweet as the little girl in her arms could overcome pain and loneliness, then so could Margo. If someone like Wendy could continue moving forward in life, then so could Margo. She would be able to smile even with the presence of Kaiden and Fallen Angel in the back of her mind and she would continue to do so for the small girl in her arms and everyone in the guild.

* * *

**A/N: **There you go! Hope you all enjoyed it!

So I promised one of my friends that I would give her some credit in this chapter, even if she isn't reading the story. -.- Anyways...I was having trouble how I wanted to show Gajeel's jealous side with someone hitting on Margo. Originally it was going to be a man that hit on Margo, but my friend told me that was boring and had been done so many times. Instead, she told me that I should make it a girl to mix it up a little. I instantly liked the idea since Gajeel can't just punch a woman in the face. So that's how Melissa was created and I hope you all enjoyed her. She should show up a couple more times in the story as well, because ya know, I have to give Gajeel a hard time and I just love seeing him all jealous like that. Eventually a guy is going to hit on Margo, so that should be fun to write as well since I'll be able to have Gajeel act differently in that situation.

Anyways...I'll have the next chapter up soon!

Please remember to review!

Yours Truly,

MyDearWatson


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